


Unpredictable Variables

by demonkidpliz



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-23
Updated: 2013-08-23
Packaged: 2017-12-24 10:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 22,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/938629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonkidpliz/pseuds/demonkidpliz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fold in space and time transports Kirk and Spock's daughter from the future to the present Stardate. Captain Kirk and First Officer Spock, on the first year of their five year mission, are just getting to know each other as friends. Can their relationship survive the strain and presence of their unexpected guest?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have read a great many beautiful fanfictions on this very 'daughter from the future' trope, but all of them have alluded to the Alternate Original Series/Reboot universe. I had an idea of what Kirk and Spock's daughter from the Original/Prime universe would be like, and so I had to write her.
> 
> This is a not-for-profit work of fiction. All characters belong to Gene Roddenberry and the Star Trek franchise. I own nothing.
> 
> Beautiful fanwork by Shilo on this fic can be found here: http://fatherfigures.co.vu/post/123842698466/unpredictable-variables-by-demonkidpliz-a-fold-in

**USS Enterprise, Transporter Room, Stardate 2282.57**  
 

“Where’s Dana?” Spock enquired, from behind the console; no sooner had the landing party beamed aboard the transporter pad.

“She...uh...stayed behind to collect some samples.” Kirk sighed. He looked back to ascertain if the rest of the landing party had beamed up safely.

The Captain hopped off the transporter pad, pointedly avoiding the look of irritation that flashed across his First Officer’s face, unnoticed by the others. It wasn’t easy to differentiate the emotions from the seemingly unemotional Vulcan. But years of living with him had taught Jim to tell them apart. And he could do it quite well. _It was those damned eyebrows_ , thought Jim.

He approached Scotty, handing him a few boxes he’d collected from the planet down below.

Spock opened a channel to the communicator below.

“Enterprise to Dana. Spock here. Come in Dana.”

No response.

“Reply, Ensign!” Spock snapped.

Kirk sighed. “I’ll be at the bridge if you need me.” He tried catching Spock’s eyes. His First Officer turned his face towards him, a muscle in his cheek, his eyebrows threatening to disappear into his bangs.

The doors swished open and Kirk stepped outside. The two red-shirt clad security officers, who had just beamed up with him, followed him. Scotty and Spock stayed behind in the transporter room. Just before the door shut behind them, Kirk heard the console come alive with a crackle from a communication from the planet below.

“Ensign Kirk reporting. I’m here, Father.”

“Why didn’t you beam back with the rest of the landing party?” Spock demanded, the concern in his voice betraying his legendary Vulcan stoicism.

“There were some additional samples to be gathered. They have to be tested in the laboratories. Some of them are quite rare, Father. I would like a few more minutes. We’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s quite fascinating...”

“Dana,” Spock said, a hint of a warning in his voice, “You are going to beam aboard the ship, now.”

“Permission to collect three more samples, sir.”

“Permission denied.”

Spock heard Dana exhale. “Father, you should have come with us. You would have loved this planet.”

“Indeed.” said Spock, his lips pressed together in amusement, clicking buttons on the console, “Mr. Scott and I are going to beam you aboard now. Prepare to stand by.”

“Affirmative, Commander.”

A jolt shook the ship. Both Scotty and Spock were thrown off. The two men hastily picked themselves up, glancing at the red light on the wall on reflex. Whatever had caused the ship to tremble had not warranted a red alert, yet.

“Mr. Scott. You should head off to Engineering to determine if the ship has sustained any damage, after we beam up Ensign Kirk.” said Spock.

“Aye,” Scotty nodded, twiddling the controls on the console. “Preparing to beam aboard one, sir.”

Scotty manipulated the controls and the two men stood by waiting for the Ensign to appear. A few seconds passed and nothing happened.

Scotty looked at Spock in surprise and reset the controls. They waited for a few seconds but again there was no change.

Scotty frowned. “I cannae lock down on her location, sir.”

Spock opened the communications channel. “Dana. Can you hear me? Enterprise to Dana.”

Again, no response.

Spock went over to the main switchboard.

“Spock to bridge.”

“Uhura here, Commander.”

“Check the planet surface and determine Ensign Kirk’s location.”

Spock’s sensitive hearing picked up a flurry of activity at the bridge controls over the open channel.

“Unable to establish Ensign Kirk’s location, Commander.”

“Try to establish contact.”

“No response, sir.”

“Sweep the surface for any life form readings.”

“Negative, sir. Nothing is showing up on our scanners.”

Spock turned to leave the transporter room. “Stay here,” he told Scotty.

“Aye, sir. But it appears the transporters are jammed. I’m gonna have to go down to the hold and check up on the wiring.”

“So we can’t beam down to the planet surface?”

“Afraid not, sir. Not until I check it out.”

Spock nodded. “I have to go and inform the Captain.”

…...


	2. Chapter 2

**USS Enterprise, Transporter Room, Stardate 2260.57**   
  


Dana waited patiently for her atomic re-assembly process to complete before she hopped off the transporter pad. She looked around the empty transporter room quizzically, lifting one slanted eyebrow.

She sighed, readjusting the tricorder on her hip and pressed the exit button at the door. She walked out into an empty corridor. Her thin lips were pressed into a full-on frown. She noticed a shadow pass by a far end of the corridor and she broke into a sprint to chase after him.

“Hey! You…” she called, skidding to a halt in front of the red-shirt clad Engineer. She glanced down at his sleeves, “Lieutenant, have you seen the Captain? Or Mr. Spock?”

The man looked at her, confused.

“Do you know where I’m supposed to report?”

The man opened his mouth as if to say something, and then shut it again. His dark brows furrowed in confusion.

A slight huff of exasperation escaped Dana’s lips. “Have you seen either of my...”

“Oei, Mehta! Did I give you permission to stand about and be a chattin’? You were supposed to report to Deck 12 ten minutes ago!”

“Uncle Scotty!” exclaimed Dana, her blond ponytail whipping around, relieved at finally hearing a familiar voice.

Scotty walked up to the pair, frowning at the Ensign.

“Where were you? I was expecting to see you at the transporter room.” she said as he walked up to her.

“You were in the transporter room?” Scotty asked, raising his eyebrows.

Dana tilted her head to one side, confused. “Why, yes. You beamed me up yourself.”

“Hmm.” said Scotty, still frowning. “What’s your name, lass?”

“What’s...what’s my name? I don’t understand. Does this constitute a joke?” Dana pursed her lips into a thin line, turning to look from Scotty to Mehta, her hazel eyes squinting in confusion.

Scotty gasped. “You’re not human!” His hand automatically reached for his phaser.

Dana pulled a few stray strands of blonde hair over her pointed ears. “Now you’re just being absurd, Uncle Scotty.”

She paused, “Was Father with you at the transporter room? Can you tell me where he is?”

“You better come with me, lass.”

Dana shrugged and began walking, her strides matching Scotty’s. Mehta, she noticed, was walking with them instead of heading towards Deck 12.

Once they reached one of the higher decks, Scotty motioned her to stand by. Mehta stood by her side, not taking his eyes off of her.

Scotty went to the wall control and keyed in a few commands, whispering a few words, discreetly.

Dana’s eyes snapped up. “You just requested a security detail.” Her hand grasped her phaser.

“Lassie,” Scotty warned, holding up his own phaser. “Drop yer weapon, and hand me that tricorder.”

“Explain.” Dana counteracted. “Your actions are not logical, Mr. Scott. If you fear that I will endanger the ship or the crew, I am willing to report to sickbay and get myself checked out, but I will hardly do so at gunpoint.”

Mehta suddenly grabbed her by the elbow. Dana spun around yanking her arm out of his grip. Mehta flew to the side of the corridor at the impact. Scotty looked at her, stunned, his phaser still trained on her.

Mehta picked himself up and launched himself in Dana’s direction again. She stepped aside lightly and knocked him out with a nerve pinch at the neck.

She looked up to see Scotty hit the red alert switch at the wall control. The klaxons started blaring and the red light flashed in the corridor. She resisted the urge to cover her sensitive ears. She had hated the sound of that thing, ever since she was a child.

Within seconds security men and officers began pouring into the deck. Dana found herself surrounded by a dozen or so red-shirt clad Security officers and a few Command Ensigns. Fifteen phasers pointed back at her.

“Drop your weapon.” Scott repeated, a steely edge to his voice.

Dana set her phaser to the floor.

“Take off the tricorder.”

Dana complied, leaving it on the floor, next to her phaser.

“And your communication device.”

Dana sighed detaching it from her hip and tossing it down.

“Now, you’ll come with us.”

Dana hesitated, frowning.

A couple of security personnel, a man and a woman, stepped forward.

“No.” Dana said, a warning in her voice. “I request a meeting with the Captain.”

The two personnel did not heed her and grabbed her by the elbows.

“No!” Dana repeated, her superhuman strength digging into her heels. The two of them pulled her but she refused to budge. Two other personnel stepped forward and grabbed her hands.

“No! Don’t touch me, please!” screamed Dana, trying to yank her wrists away. The security men looked at each other, surprised.

“Leave her be.”

The red shirted security men quickly stepped aside for the authoritative voice to pass through. Dana felt the grip on her hands and arms relax and she lurched forward.

Tears stood still in her hazel eyes, blinding her, as she breached the distance between herself and the man that stood in front of her. Her fingers reached up to clutch the front of his blue shirt and she whispered, “Father. Where were you?”

Instantly she felt the man stiffen. Some of the gathered crew and personnel gasped out aloud. Even though he wanted to, Spock had the good sense not to pry the girl away, given that she appeared to be at least part-Vulcan and was thus averse to being touched. He let his arms stay still, uselessly by his sides, his stomach flipping over.

“Explain yourself,” he said stiffly, trying to keep his composure. The face she knew so well looked back at her, betraying no sign of emotion, or for that matter, recognition.

Dana retrieved her hands and stood ramrod straight, brushing the back of her hand across her eyes and forehead.

“I beamed back aboard the ship, not moments ago, on your orders. When I saw neither you or Engineer Scott,” she allowed herself a look in the Engineer’s direction, “in the transporter room, I left it in search of you to report my findings from the planet below.”

“What planet?”

Dana tilted her head, “The planet below, Theta Upsilon 742. I was the Ensign assigned to accompany the landing party.”

“I have her tricorder here, sir.”

“Thank you Mr. Scott.” Spock took it from Scotty and turned to face the young girl standing to attention in front of him, her hands clasped behind her back. “Ensign, no landing party has left the Enterprise for Theta Upsilon 742.”

“How can you say that? Dad himself gave me permission to join him because I requested that I be allowed to collect new samples to study in the lab and you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

Spock shook his head, almost imperceptibly.

Dana’s slanted eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She looked up at Spock again, with heart-achingly familiar hazel eyes, “Show me your hands.”

Spock warily lifted both his hands up to her face, keeping them close to his chest. Her eyes did an once-over over his fingers and she looked up at him, in shock.

“What Stardate is it?” she whispered.

“2260.57.”

“Oh.” she breathed.

…...


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aboard the Enterprise, set in the future, Captain Kirk comes to terms with the fact that his daughter is lost.

**USS Enterprise, Deck 5, 2282.57**   
  


“What do you mean she’s ‘gone’?” Kirk said angrily, walking down the corridor as fast as his legs would carry him.

“I cannae explain it, sir. One moment she was there, and the next she was gone from her coordinates. No trace.” said Scotty, striding along next to him.

“Spock did you try beaming her using subsidiary channels?”

“Negative, Captain. Using secondary channels would not have helped since she was not present at the transport location.” Spock inclined his head, his pace a trifle faster than Kirk’s.

“But this is the most confounded thing!” exclaimed Dr. McCoy.

“Did you try contacting her again? Scanning the surface?”

“Affirmative, Captain. Our sensors indicate that currently there are no life forms on the planet surface.”

“Did you try beaming down and searching for her?” Kirk bit out accusingly.

“Captain.” Spock halted abruptly. The other three almost collided into him. “Mr. Scott has indicated that the transporter began to malfunction shortly after the Enterprise experienced a lurch. We were unable to beam anyone up _or_ down.”

Kirk stood stiff, his silence mutinous, nostrils flaring. Spock glanced sideways at him, irritably, focusing on keeping his mental shields intact and preventing Kirk’s panic and anger from seeping into his mind through their bond.

“You should have beamed her up sooner.” Kirk said, shaking his head and looking the other way.

“Jim, I established contact with Dana, while you were present in the transporter room. I gave her orders to beam back aboard. She was delayed because she wanted to collect samples for the laboratories.”

“She was delayed? Dammit Spock! Is that the best you’ve got? Are you really such a poor officer that your subordinates won’t obey you? Or are you an even worse father that you can’t even get your own daughter to listen to you!”

“Jim!” said Spock sharply.

Dr. McCoy looked on in horror from Jim to Spock.

“If you hadn’t given her permission to join the landing party today, we would not be standing here having this conversation.” Spock’s usually warm, brown eyes, flashed darkly in anger, “As Science Officer it was my responsibility to gather samples from the planet surface. As an Ensign, Dana had no business being there. Had it not been...”

“Will you two stop it?” yelled Dr. McCoy, “That poor kid is stuck somewhere in space, all alone, and the two of you can’t even stop blaming each other for two seconds to bother looking for her.”

Spock turned abruptly, his hands clasped tight behind his back. “I will be at the bridge, monitoring the events from an hour before the disturbance occurred.” And with that he walked off.

Kirk’s hand flew to his forehead and he pressed his eyes shut, muttering to himself, _"W_ _hat have I done?"_

“Sir?” Scotty interrupted. Kirk turned to absentmindedly stare at his Chief Engineer.

“Yes, Scotty.”

“There’s a problem in the hold below, it’s what’s causing the transporter malfunction. I need yer to come and check it out.”

“Yes, of course. Bones?” he turned towards Dr. McCoy, “Just go, be with him on the bridge. And keep me posted.”

McCoy flashed him a brief, friendly smile as they parted and went their respective ways.

…...


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the present, Captain Kirk and his team meet the newcomer on board.

**USS Enterprise, Conference Room B, Stardate 2260.57**   
  


“I request your presence at Conference Room B, Captain.”

“Yes. Mr. Scott and I are at the room right now with the Ensign.”

“As the circumstances are somewhat unusual I have asked Dr. McCoy to join us as well.”

“Very well, Captain.”

Dana watched her not-Father close the communication channel with the Captain and resume staring at her from across the conference table. He might as well have been boring holes into her skull with the intensity of his gaze. Dana sat across him in a matching stance. Back straight, arms folded, slanted eyebrows narrowed into a frown.

“So, is the Captain on his way?” Scotty ventured, in an attempt to diffuse the awkward silence.

“Yes, he is, Mr. Scott.” Spock said, not taking his eyes off the girl.

Dana opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the door swishing open. All three of them turned their heads to see three people file in, two men and an attractive, fair-haired lady.

“Daddy. Uncle Bones.” Dana nodded towards the two men who had just walked in. Spock saw her break into a smile before she quickly resumed her stiff, hostile stance.

Dr. McCoy plopped into a chair next to Dana, his blue eyes wide, looking from Spock to Dana to Kirk. Kirk was frozen at the entrance of the door.

“What’s the meaning of this, Jim?” the lady behind him asked.

“Captain,” Spock said, rising from his seat. “This is a confidential meeting, her presence is not permitted...” he angled an eyebrow towards her.

Dana leaned across the table and whispered in Vulcan, “Who is she? I know all of you, but her I don’t recognise.”

Spock arched an eyebrow and replied quietly in Vulcan, “Her name is Dr. Carol Marcus.”

Dana shifted back in her seat shrugging. “Never heard of her,” she said continuing in their native tongue.

“Alright, alright, sit down Spock,” Kirk said hastily, sliding into a seat next to his First, clearly put-off at not being a part of the exchange between the two in their own language. “Dr. Marcus is here on my request.”

“Why?” said Spock.  
  
Dana raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean, why? She’s a xenobiologist. What you described is...unusual, to say the least. She’s an expert on alien life forms. I’m sure we can use her input.”

Spock pursed his lips into a thin line and turned to the problem at hand. Dr. Marcus exhaled and took a seat next to Kirk.

“Mr. Scott found her near the transporter room. Time indicates she beamed aboard our vessel shortly after we experienced the lurch while in orbit.”

“Yes, about that, Father. I haven’t had the opportunity to study the tricorder readings, but what I found was some sort of space anomaly.”

“Ensign,” Spock said holding up a hand. Dana fell into a sullen silence.

“As we do not yet know what caused the space anomaly and from where or how you have chanced upon this ship...”

“Yes, if you give me my tricorder, I could study it and tell you...”

“Ensign.” This time Kirk cut her off. “You will not speak until asked to.”

“Please don’t call me that. It’s bad enough when Father does it. And yes, of course, Captain.” she replied in her annoyingly, even voice. Kirk could feel the blonde Vulcan glowering at him from a few feet away.

“How old are you?” Kirk asked her gently, changing tactics.

“I turn seventeen next month, according to Earth Standard.”

“And what’s your name?”

The girl sighed.

“Dana Sarika Kirk.”

Her response was met with stunned silence from everyone in the room. Spock hadn’t moved a muscle. Kirk was at a loss for words, and that was new for him.

“Where are you from, er, Dana Sarika?” Kirk asked, a few moments later, clearing his throat.

Dana launched into an explanation in a monotone.

“On Stardate 2282.57, I beamed down with a landing party from the Enterprise onto the planet Theta Upsilon 742. After we finished collecting samples most of the party beamed back up. I lingered to test a few more of the local flora and fauna samples and was ordered to beam back aboard by...” At this point her eyes flickered towards Spock but she went on, “my Father, who is Science Officer of the ship. There must have been a transporter malfunction due to the space anomaly readings that my tricorder picked up, because I beamed up to the Enterprise alright, but at the wrong Stardate. And I paid for my trouble by being caught by Uncle...Mr. Scott and handed over to security.”

McCoy snorted, stifling his laughter into his hand.

Kirk shot Spock a quick look. He was stoically silent, and looking straight ahead.

“I see. Dana, well, we’ll have to look into the space anomaly and figure out, what went wrong. In the meantime...”

“Dana, where are you from?” Spock asked, interrupting the Captain smoothly.

“I do not understand, Commander.” Dana bit out the last word.

“You have explained to us how you got here. A very logical explanation. I am, however, enquiring about your origins.”

Dana turned to look away from him. “I was born on Shi’Kahr, Vulcan, to Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Spock, First Officer, Science Officer of the Federation Starship Enterprise, by genetic engineering,” she completed in a dull monotone.

Again, she was greeted by silence, and an open-mouthed gape from McCoy. Spock did some calculations. This child, whichever parallel universe she may have come from, would be born in another five years, just as the Enterprise’s first mission would come to an end.

“...I trained in Starfleet and graduated as a cadet last year from both Command and Science tracks. I have since been serving on the Enterprise as a Command and Science Ensign,” Dana continued.

“You’ve been serving as Command and Science Ensign?” Kirk repeated. He was impressed, notwithstanding the clenching feeling in his gut.

“Yes, I usually take the alpha shift on the bridge and the beta shift in the laboratories. I have uniforms for both,” she ventured, looking down at the Command gold sleeves she was currently wearing.

Dana was aware of both her not-parents scrutinising her carefully, taking in the sight of her. She had Jim’s dark blonde hair, and hazel eyes, of that there were no doubt. She had Spock’s ears, and eyebrows, long nose and thin, disapproving lips.

Apart from the obvious that sprang out, Spock noticed that her hum of impatience, her precociousness, her general disregard for danger and any kind of authority was undoubtedly very like the Captain’s.

 _She’s doing it again, the thing with the eyebrows. Oh God, Spock is bad enough. Now there are two of them_ , Jim thought as he looked from one frowning Vulcan to another and sighed.

“So it must be your crazy Vulcan physiology that lets you do work two back to back shifts, I take it?” McCoy enquired, breaking the silence.

Dana nodded imperceptibly.  
  
“Mind if I check?”

“Of course not, Uncle Bones. Just don’t hypo me, unless you really have to. Your potions do not agree with me.”

McCoy shook his head muttering something about the spawns of hobgoblins. He moved the medical tricorder over her. Carol Marcus got up from her seat and came and stood behind the Doctor.

“What are you reading, Bones? Everything alright?”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Jim.”

“What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? What’s right with this kid? Her body temp and pressure is off the charts. I have a normal pulse, here. Blood, _cuproglobin_!” he exclaimed, looking at Spock pointedly. “I’m gonna need to run more tests on her, including a DNA sampling,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “Her heart’s not where it’s supposed to be,” he said, running the tricorder at her side.

“Indeed, Doctor. I have a human heart in my chest cavity, angled to the left.”

McCoy’s eyes widened, “You mean to say that you’re running Vulcan green blood in your body using a human heart?”

“Correct.”

“How are you doing this? Jim, how is she doing this?”

“Relax, Uncle Bones. From what I’ve been told, you had a lot to do with making sure it worked.” Dana smiled.

McCoy slumped back into his chair, a dumbfounded look on his face.

“Okay. Dana, you will accompany Dr. McCoy and Dr. Marcus to sickbay. Scotty, we’re going to need to focus on the problem in Engineering and have this ship up and running. Mr. Spock...” Kirk said turning to his First Officer at long last, “We will have to trace the source of the anomaly and find a way to resolve it and send Dana back, to her universe and to her...er...parents.”

Kirk cleared his throat unnecessarily, “Any preliminary observations, Mr. Spock?”

“I can surmise that the space anomaly has caused a rift between parallel universes. Ensign Kirk comes from the future of such a universe. But I cannot be sure. It would be wise to gather the readings and analyse them. Perhaps the Ensign will assist me once she is out of sickbay.”

Kirk nodded. “You’re sure this is a time and space thing? That time we were transported to the ISS Enterprise, we were in an alternate universe, but there was no change to our timeline.”  
  
“I cannot be sure at this time, Captain,” Spock shook his head, “I have insufficient data.”

“Alright, crew, let’s get down to work. Today’s going to be a long day.” Kirk said getting up.

Everybody got up and shuffled towards the door.

“I’m sorry about the trouble, lassie,” said Scotty just outside the door.

“Apology is unnecessary, Uncle Scotty. You were just doing your job. Now if you will excuse me, I have to accompany Dr. McCoy to the sickbay.”

Kirk saw her incline her head and leave, walking alongside McCoy and Marcus, her small hands clasped tightly behind her back. Scotty took his leave and made his way down to Engineering. Kirk turned to see Spock standing next to him in the corridor, watching their not-daughter’s retreating back.

“Mr. Spock?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Bridge, Captain.” said Spock ignoring his commanding officer and leading the way to the bridge. Kirk sighed and followed.

…...


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Kirk, of the future, must make amends with Spock.

**USS Enterprise, First Officer’s Quarters, Stardate 2282.57**   
  


Kirk paced outside the door of their shared quarters a few times, flexing his fingers, trying to muster up courage. He walked past his old room, which was just next-door. He hadn’t used his own bedroom in years, preferring to share Spock’s quarters. They had turned the Captain’s room into a nursery for Dana, and then into a bedroom for their daughter. After she enrolled as Ensign, she requested a change of quarters to reside with the rest of the Ensigns in the decks below. She was annoyingly uptight about rules and regulations, very like her Father in that aspect.

Kirk walked past Dana’s old room. Spock and he had still kept all of her stuff there. He didn’t have the heart to enter the room now and renew the bone-crushing feeling of loss that refused to leave him. Instead, he decided to focus on the other problem at hand. He breathed in, entered the code, and walked into his shared quarters.

Their room was dimly lit, and set to an uncomfortably high temperature. Kirk stepped into the office area and saw Spock sitting on his mat, deep in meditation. A couple of incense sticks burnt on the altar behind him.

Kirk sat down uncertainly on one of the chairs, wiping his brow. This shouldn’t be too difficult. He would just wait for Spock to finish. Whenever that might be.

Moments later, he found himself yawning. Afraid he would disturb Spock, he got up and went to the bedroom area. He flopped down on the bed and pushed in a card at the replicator. He pressed a few buttons and was rewarded with a mug of steaming, black coffee.

He began gulping it down in earnest. The elevated temperature of the room was really getting to him. He yanked his Command gold shirt over his head, leaving only the black regulation undershirt on. He paused to finish the rest of his coffee. Then he bent down to take off his boots. He decided against changing, because he was sure he would fall asleep if he did.

Balling his socks, he pressed the buttons on the replicator again, ordering another coffee. Holding the warm mug in his hand, he sat on the bed, stifling another yawn. Working two shifts had really drained him, reminding him once again, that he was not as young as he used to be. He rubbed his eyes, and took a giant swig from the too-hot mug. The coffee scalded his tongue and he hissed out.

“ _What_ are you doing, Jim?”

“Drinking coffee. So I can stay awake till you’re done meditating. I need to talk to you. I want to...apologise...”

Kirk stopped as Spock got up from the floor. He folded his mat, altered the temperature controls to make them slightly cooler and came and stood in front of the bed, hands folded across his robe-clad chest.

“I didn’t want to disturb your meditation,” Kirk blurted out.

“It is no matter. I have completed my meditation for the time being. You wished to speak?”

“I’m sorry,” Kirk stared without preamble, “I shouldn’t have said those things. I was upset, and I was scared for our daughter. And I panicked. I didn’t mean any of those things. I’m sorry you had to hear them. They were hateful. And they were untrue.” he finished miserably.

“Hmm. I see. I must say, Jim, that I find I owe you an apology myself. My accusations of you being responsible for Dana’s disappearance were baseless. And they must have caused you much distress. For that, I am sorry.”

“No,” Kirk said rubbing the back of his hand across his eyes and face, “You were right, Spock. She was not supposed to be down there. It’s my fault she’s gone.”

“Negative, Jim. The danger was unforeseeable. She convinced you to put her on the team. Had the decision been mine, I would have been compelled to do the same. I find her powers of persuasion...quite... overwhelming. I believe she gets it from her Dad.”

Kirk broke out into a smile at hearing Spock’s words, the first since he had the distressing news of his daughter’s disappearance. He extended the index and middle fingers of his right hand towards Spock and exhaled as Spock reached out his own fingers and touched them, a familiar jolt of current passing between both their hands.

The mattress dipped as Spock sat down gracefully next to Kirk, entwining their hands entirely and leaning in to kiss Kirk at the same time. As their fingers caressed, their lips touched and began to move together with a practiced ease. Kirk placed a hand gently at the back of Spock’s head, hoping to prolong the contact as much as possible.

Eventually they broke apart and Spock placed his lips at the underside of Kirk’s ear and murmured into his skin, “You need to rest, Jim.”

“I’m worried Spock. I can’t sleep.”

“Same, Jim,” he said, pulling back the covers, “But tomorrow is going to be another long day, so we must at least attempt to.”

Kirk took off his undershirt and regulation slacks and crawled under the covers, resting his head on his pillow. Spock slipped out of his meditation robe and laid down next him, wrapping his arms and legs around Kirk, pulling him into his chest.

Kirk screwed his eyes shut. A warm feeling of calm, no doubt projected by Spock through their bond, flooded his mind, and began caressing his guilt away. Gradually, he felt his distress ebbing away and just before he slipped into sleep, he shifted his arm till one of his hands found Spock’s and he intertwined their fingers, his nail grazing over Spock’s wedding ring.

…...


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the present, Bones has a field day with the two Kirks onboard.

**USS Enterprise, Sickbay, Stardate 2260.57**   


“How’s Cousin Jo?” Dana enquired.

“You know Joanna?” asked a surprised McCoy.

“Of course.” Dana replied, her thin lips pulled into a smile.

“She’s with her mother.” McCoy grumbled, and then straightened up, “The DNA results will be available in some time. Other than that, I think we’re good to go, kid.”

“Thank you Uncle Bones.” Dana inclined her head.

“Don’t mention it,” McCoy said gruffly.

Dana was grateful that he, unlike her fathers, did not seem to mind her addressing him in such a familiar fashion. Upon entering the sickbay she had enthusiastically greeted ‘Aunt Christine’, only to have Nurse Chapel back out looking shocked and confused.

“Is it okay if I ask you a few personal questions?” McCoy asked after some deliberation.

“That depends. Am I allowed to disclose the information you seek, Doctor?” Dana said quirking an eyebrow.

“To hell with the Federation Regulations, kid. These circumstances go well above and beyond that.”

“Yes, I suppose so,” said Dana slowly, hopping off the biobed. “What would you like to know, Uncle Bones?”

“Your parents, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock...?”

“Yes.” Dana nodded. “They are together. Married by Earth Standard laws and Vulcan rituals.”

“Hmm, well what do you know,” muttered McCoy.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Doctor, but from my observations I have gathered that the current Captain and Commander are not together.”

“No,” McCoy said softly.

“Do they at least like each other? Are they even friends?” Dana asked somewhat helplessly.

“Of course, sweetheart. They like each other very much.” said McCoy consolingly.

Dana sighed.

“I wouldn’t worry so much if I were you.” McCoy went on.

“Of course not, to worry would be illogical.” Dana said, her slanted eyebrows narrowing. McCoy paused for a second to gather his thoughts as he wondered how this child had the ability to switch between the personalities of both her parents within seconds.

“What I’m saying, is, give it some time, and is all I’m saying.” McCoy continued.

“I don’t understand.” she said, sounding perplexed.

“I may be just a simple country doctor, kid, but I wasn’t born yesterday.” McCoy said, flashing her a grin, his blue eyes sparkling, “Now run along and find someone else to bother. I’ve got work to do.”

“I have to meet Dr. Marcus. She has some questions,” she said unenthusiastically.

No sooner had Dana exited than the comm at McCoy’s station beeped.

“McCoy here.”

“Bones, any news?”

“Plenty. You could pop down here and we could discuss it if you’ve got a minute.”

There was a pause, “I’ll be right down. Mr. Sulu, you have the conn.”

Moments later, the Captain strode in.

“Did Spock manage to isolate the space anomaly?” McCoy asked, straightening up from the table on which he was studying samples.

“He’s running the tricorder readings now. How’s the girl?”

“She’s fine. She’s with Carol now.”

“Do you have the DNA results yet?”

“It’ll take a couple of hours.” said McCoy cheerfully, “But I don’t need a DNA test to tell me whose kid she is.”

“Yes, I suppose so. She basically looks like a small blonde Spock, just with longer hair.”

“Well, she has your eyes,” said McCoy, raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah, that.” Kirk said.

“Well, I thought she looked more like a Vulcan version of you. Or that time you disguised yourself as a Romulan, but of course, you know, infinitely prettier.”

Kirk good-naturedly swatted his CMO’s arm.

“She does the eyebrow thing,” said Kirk.

“What eyebrow thing?”

“You know that annoying thing that Spock does with his eyebrows.”

“Haven’t the slightest, Jim.”

“You can’t have not noticed, Bones! Never mind. All I’m saying is, it’s uncanny how similar she is to him.”

“Are you serious? That’s your only observation? In case you haven’t noticed, for a seventeen year old, she’s pretty damned fearless. And the way she keeps jumping off of things. Have you heard her talk? She goes off like a comet, and there’s no stopping her. I haven’t managed to complete a single conversation with her without being interrupted...”

“I know! Annoying isn’t it?”

“She gets it from you, Jim,” said McCoy shaking his head, “Which is why I think Spock puts up with it. I daresay he finds it endearing.”

“Spock, and endearing?” Kirk laughed out, “Which reminds me, once she’s done with Carol, ask her to report to Science Lab 2. Spock is going over the readings and needs her input.”

“Where is she going to stay?”

“Well, I thought Uncle Bones would be kind enough to take her in for a couple of days?” the Captain smirked.

“Not a chance Jim. I’m a doctor, not a babysitter. And this is a sickbay not a playpen.”

“I suppose we can find her a room in the Ensign’s quarters. She’s technically not a stowaway. And I can hardly lock her in the brig.” he said, turning to leave.

“Alright. I’ll comm you and Spock when I have the DNA results. “

…...


	7. Chapter 7

**USS Enterprise, Science Lab 2, Stardate 2260.57**   
  


“The discrepancy in the readings is quite...unusual...” said Dana frowning, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

“Indeed, Ensign. As the gamma shift is about to begin, I suggest we leave the laboratory and retire to our respective quarters. The computers can carry out the calculations and we may resume our research tomorrow at the beginning of the alpha shift.” Spock stood up.

Dana and he exited the lab and walked towards the turbolift.

“Did you have a chance to eat dinner after your medical exam?” Spock enquired, tilting his head towards her as the lift whirred.

“Negative. I did not require sustenance at the time.”

Spock artistically lifted an eyebrow. “In that case, you should eat something now. There is a wide selection of Vulcan and Terran options recorded in the replicator.” He pulled out a few data cards from his pocket and handed it to her.

“ _Nemaiyo_.”[1] Dana said, bowing her head and accepting the cards.

“Your Father taught you to speak Vulcan?”

“Affirmative, Commander. He taught both my Dad and I.”

“Fascinating.”

“Quite.” Dana smiled.

“I have been instructed to escort you to the Ensigns quarters. A yeoman will help you find a room.” Spock said as the turbolift came to a stop.

“I can find my way, Commander. I am familiar with the layout of this ship.” She hopped off the turbolift and inclined her head, “Until tomorrow, Commander.”

Spock inclined his head in response and whisked the turbolift away to the senior officer’s quarters.

Back in his room, he sat across the replicator, playing with the data card in his hand. Deciding against dinner, he got up and prepared himself for meditation.

An hour or so into his meditation, he found himself distracted. He sensed a dull hum at the back of his mind. Unable to identify and isolate the cause, Spock found himself growing uneasy and irritable. In addition, he heard voices drift in from the adjacent bedroom that belonged to the Captain.

The shared bathroom that separated their quarters was not enough to block out the sounds to the Vulcan’s sensitive hearing.

He could hear the Captain, and an additional voice. A woman’s voice.

Dr. Carol Marcus.

Spock almost gnashed his teeth. She had been spending her nights in the Captain’s quarters more and more frequently. His eyes still shut, he breathed out loudly and began gathering his thoughts again in an attempt to re-focus on his meditation.

“What do you mean it came out positive?” Marcus’s muffled voice could be heard, not that she was making any real attempts to keep it down.

“I mean Bones found that her DNA matches mine and Spock’s.” Kirk replied.

“Well that could mean anything. Your alternate universe counterpart would have the same DNA as you. She need not be your child, per se.”

“Really?” said Kirk. Spock frowned, trying to focus on whether the Captain had sounded relieved or disappointed.

“Well, at any rate. All this must have been very stressful for you, Jim,” her voice mellowing.

“Not really. The girl is quite pleasant. Bones has taken a real liking to her.” Spock heard the Captain’s short huff of laughter.

“Let’s put the events of the day behind us, shall we?” Marcus’s voice had lowered into a seductive drawl. Spock’s eyes snapped open in anger.

“Yes, you’re quite right. Did you notice how very like Spock she was though?”

The voices in the Captain’s bedroom faded. Only to be replaced with sound of movement.

Spock got up from the floor and folded his meditation mat. Without bothering to change out of his meditation robes, he exited his quarters, heading towards the observation deck to clear his head.

…...

* * *

 

[1] Thank you (in Vulcan)


	8. Chapter 8

**USS Enterprise, Cafeteria, Stardate 2260.58**   
  


Kirk strode into the cafeteria. After picking up his usual breakfast of black coffee and cereal, he went over to their table. Spock was already seated with his breakfast, his long nose buried in his PADD. McCoy was sitting next to him.

“Good morning, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy.”

“Good morning, Captain,” said Spock glancing at Kirk for a second before he returned to his PADD. Bones nodded at him.

Kirk saw Spock hastily spoon the pieces of cut fruit from his fruit bowl into his mouth.

“Spock, stop. You’re inhaling your breakfast.”

Spock swallowed, “I have to be at the laboratory in 7.29 minutes, Captain. The experiments and calculations we are conducting to isolate the cause and nature of the anomaly cannot wait.”

Kirk nodded, noticing Carol Marcus walk into the cafeteria and head over to the replicator station.

“Jim,” McCoy said motioning towards the table in the far corner. Kirk spotted a lone figure in Science blues sitting hunched over.

Dana Sarika Kirk.

She was sitting, her legs crossed, focusing on her breakfast tray with concentration that could rival Spock’s. A gaggle of Ensigns sat at the table next to her, not noticing the newcomer, engrossed amongst themselves.

McCoy glared at Kirk. Kirk stole a glance at Spock whose eyes had not moved from his PADD.

Kirk sighed, and called out, “Dana!”

She looked up and he waved, motioning her to come over. Dana picked up her tray and walked up to them. She quietly sat in the chair next to Kirk. He noticed she had done her hair differently today. Her long, blonde tresses had been pulled into an elaborate side plait that covered her ears. The pointed tips nonetheless, peeked out.

“Greetings, Captain, Commander, Uncle Bones.”

“Good morning kiddo,” McCoy said smiling, “So, what’s the plan for today? I see you have a new uniform!”

Dana looked down at her blue shirt. “Correct, Doctor. I was able to replicate a few sets. The Commander and I are expected to reach Science Lab 2 in 5.83 minutes to resume our work on studying the space disturbance.”  
  
McCoy rolled his eyes and settled on picking on Spock. “Are you really going to eat that toast with a fork and knife?”

Spock raised an eyebrow at McCoy, giving him the Vulcan equivalent of a glare, as he continued to methodically slice the piece of bread with the cutlery.

Kirk smiled at his CMO and First, and then turned to the young girl next to him. “What’s for breakfast Dana?”

“Dried fruits and side of eggs, sir.” Dana replied pointing to the two dishes on her plate.

“I take it you haven’t had the chance to make a lot of friends yet?” Kirk pressed.

“Negative. I know a lot of the crew members, though it is interesting to see them so young, you included. But they don’t know me, and I doubt they would be open to accepting my friendship.”

“Why would you think that?” Kirk asked dismayed. Even Spock had taken his eyes off the PADD, and had stopped slicing his goddamned toast to stare at her.

“It is difficult to explain the sudden and unexpected presence of a new recruit of obvious non-human origin on the ship, Captain.” Dana kept her eyes on her plate as she finished her food.

“Nonsense! We’ll tell everyone that you were assigned to us at Starbase 39.” said Kirk, seeking her eyes out, “Dana. As long as you are a guest on this ship, I don’t want you to feel out of place.”

“Quite the contrary, Captain. The Enterprise is, as it has always been, warm and welcoming, just as I had expected it to be. You said so yourself, for people like us, the ship itself is our home.” Dana turned to look at Kirk, her mellow, hazel eyes, so very like his own smiling at him, and though he was aware that Dana was referencing her own Dad, he was surprised at the overwhelming feeling of affection that suddenly washed over him.

Spock had finished with his toast. He picked up the PADD and sensed Dr. Marcus walking over to the table. Dana noticed her not-Father immediately stiffen in his seat.

He got up to his feet abruptly and rumbled, “I take your leave Captain, Dr. McCoy. Ensign Kirk and I must get to the Lab. I’ll see you at the bridge later, Jim.”

With that he turned and left. Dana nodded at her not-Dad and the doctor and leapt to her feet, following him in his swift exit.

…...


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Future Spock tries to figure out where his daughter has disappeared to.

**USS Enterprise, Bridge, Stardate 2282.58**   
  


Kirk finished giving Chekov directions to keep the ship in orbit above Theta Upsilon 742, and then turned his head towards the Science station. His First Officer was standing, bent over the console, the muscles in his back tense. That was not a good sign.

Kirk sighed and jumped from his seat. He walked over to the Science station and enquired, “Readings, Mr. Spock?”

Spock straightened from his observation periscope and said, “Quite interesting, Captain. My observations indicate that yesterday we experienced an unusual space phenomenon that resulted in a temporal fold in space at the same time the transporter malfunctioned.”

“What does that mean?” pressed Kirk.

“It means that the transporter signal interfered with the disturbance and transported Dana to another point in time. According to my calculations, some time in the past, about two decades or so. I will have to run further calculations to determine the exact date.”

Kirk rubbed his hands, “But this is great news, Spock! If we can determine the exact time and location to where she was transported, we can use the elastic band method and transport back in time and find her.”

Spock stepped down from the podium to be at the same height as the Captain, and folded his arms across his chest. “Theoretically, yes, Captain. But there are some discrepancies in the readings, which even I cannot explain. The computer has failed to identify the nature and cause of it as well. The matter may not just be a simple case of time travel.”

Spock leaned forward, one hand on the red bridge railing. “I need some time to do some more calculations. I have to be absolutely sure. I have already fed the data to the computer and it will take a few hours to process all of it.”

Kirk bit back the fear and panic rising in his throat, a constant feeling that stayed with him since he had lost his daughter. He schooled his mind, focusing on trying to maintain a neutral expression. He closed his hand over Spock’s wrist on the railing, trailing a finger over the skin, and said, “Take all the time you need, Spock. If you wish, I could relieve you of bridge duty and you could continue your work in one of the labs.”

Spock nodded silently.

“Uhura, please ask Lieutenant Commander Wu to report to the bridge for duty, and Lieutenant Valdez, as well. Her presence is required at the Science station.”

“Aye, Captain.” Uhura replied promptly, opening the communications channels.

“I’ll be here if you need me,” Kirk said softly.

Spock nodded mutely again, and picking up his PADD left the bridge.

…...


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Present day Kirk and Spock have a chat over chess.

**USS Enterprise, First Officer’s Quarters, Stardate 2260.58**  
 

Kirk walked up to the door next to his and paused for a second. Pushing any doubts he had from his mind, he pressed the button, requesting entry.

Seconds later the door swished open and his First Officer stood in front of him, a peculiar non-expression on his face.

“May I come in?” said Kirk, splaying his hands out.

Spock raised an eyebrow but stepped aside to let his commanding officer in. The door swished shut.

“I was not expecting your presence, Captain.”

“Is it unwelcome?”

“Quite the contrary, Captain,” he paused, “That is not what I said. I merely expressed my surprise since I had assumed that you would be entertaining other...guests in your own quarters today.”

If Kirk noticed his tone of voice, he ignored it. “Well I was hoping for a few rounds of chess.”

Spock inclined his head and proceeded to his desk to set up the board, pausing to reset the temperature controls in the room, to make it slightly cooler.

The two men played three rounds, Kirk winning the first, and Spock the second. The third game was abandoned at stalemate and the board with the last few pieces were left ignored as the two men engaged in conversation discussing the events of the day.

Eventually Spock got up and brought himself a mug of Vulcan tea from the replicator. Kirk requested a mug of steaming, black coffee, ignoring Spock’s disapproving eyebrows.

“The readings are inconclusive, Captain. While Ensign Kirk’s tricorder shows registered readings of a dent in space, the readings picked up by our ship’s sensors suggest it to be a disturbance in time.”

Kirk nodded and then shook his head.

Spock went on, “According to the Ensign’s readings, a shift in space would indicate that she time-travelled from the future to our current Stardate, a difference of exactly twenty two years.”

“Which means she really is our daughter.”

Spock ignored the comment and went on, “My findings however indicate that there were disturbances in the time dimension, indicating that she very well may be from another dimension in space.”

“Oh,” was all Kirk had to say.

The silence stretched on for a few uncomfortable seconds before Kirk said, “So what does this mean? Who is correct?”

Spock frowned, unfurling his fingers from the tea mug and joining both his hands, fingertips touching. “I don’t know as yet, Captain. Normally, I would have had enough reason to dismiss the findings of the Ensign. But in this case, I feel strangely compelled not to.”

“You trust her judgment,” Kirk said nodding.

“I trust her logic. And I admire and respect her intelligence. She is not given to making human errors, Captain.”

“Everyone is prone to making human errors, Spock,” said Kirk rolling his eyes.

Spock made a disparaging noise at the back of his throat and resumed drinking his tea.

Kirk downed his coffee and returned the empty mug to the replicator. “I propose we discuss all the findings tomorrow in the conference room with the rest of the senior command team?”

Spock nodded. Kirk turned to head back to his own room, through their shared bathroom door.

“Good night, Mr. Spock.”

“Good night, Captain.”

…...


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spock (of the future) may have a breakthrough on locating Dana.

**USS Enterprise, Bridge, Stardate 2282.59**  
  


Kirk drummed his fingers against the arm of the Captain’s chair. “Bridge to Science Lab 4. Come in Mr. Spock.’

“Spock here, Captain.”

“Do you have anything new to report.”

“Negative, Captain. I will be completing another set of calculations shortly. If there is any change I will report it at once, sir.”

“No you will not. Spock you’ve been working for three shifts straight. I order you to leave the lab and return to your quarters.”

“That will not be possible at the time, sir. It is imperative that I complete my research.”

“Spock, I’m going to have to report you to sickbay. You haven’t eaten or slept in 36 hours.”

“34.28 hours, Captain, and I do not require sustenance or rest at the time. Also I doubt there is anything Dr. McCoy can do to help me.”

Kirk gritted his teeth, “Spock, don’t make me call security on you.”

“That would be highly illogical, Captain...” his voice trailed off.

Kirk ran a hand through his dark blonde curls. He was going to have to go down to the Science Lab and haul Spock’s skinny ass out of there himself.

“MR. SCOTT!”

Spock’s voice boomed over the communication channel Kirk had forgotten was still open. Kirk jumped in his seat. Most of the bridge crew winced in surprise. Scotty turned his head in alarm from the Engineering station.

“Mr. Scott, I request your presence in Science Lab 4 immediately.” Spock’s voice patched through again.

“Aye, Commander.” said Scott, nodding at Kirk and rushing towards the turbolift.

Kirk sighed and switched off the comm, trying to focus on getting through the shift.

…...


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The senior command officers gather in the conference room to discuss what to do next with their unexpected guest.

**USS Enterprise, Conference Room A, Stardate 2282.59**  
  
  
Dana looked at the computer screens in front of them, streaming numbers and equations. She bent her head, making more notes on her PADD as she waited for the others to arrive.

She could hear the Captain, seated beside her, humming a familiar tune. Spock sat across from them, his fingers steepled on the table, focusing on the computer screens.

The door swished open and Dr. McCoy walked in.  He took a seat next to Spock and smiled warmly at Dana, “Good morning, pumpkin.”

Dana smiled back in response. She was glad to know that her Uncle Bones in this timeline maintained his habit of calling her by affable and ingenious nicknames.

The doors opened for a second time and Scotty and Marcus walked in. Dana shot a quick look at her not-Father to see if he would register discontentment at the xenobiologist’s presence in the conference room. To her surprise, Carol Marcus walked up to Spock first.

Handing him a PADD she said, “Here are the research notes you requested, Mr. Spock.”

“Thank you Dr. Marcus,” he said taking the PADD from her and giving it a glance, “These are quite satisfactory.”

She took a seat next to McCoy and Scott.

Spock opened the meeting by explaining the readings of the ship’s long-range sensors and his own findings and conclusions. Dana maintained a stoical expression throughout but Kirk did not miss the frown between her eyebrows.

Spock turned to Dana and asked her to explain her observations.

Dana launched into a monologue, explaining her own findings and how it differed from Spock’s.

“What I’m saying, Fa...Commander, is not that your readings are wrong, but they are complementary in nature to mine.”

Spock regarded her closely, arms folded across his chest, legs crossed. “What would you suggest should be our next course of action, Ensign?” 

Dana started slowly, “I think that we should study my readings further, implement the discrepancies you have noted, and with yours and Mr. Scott’s help, isolate the origin of the anomaly and attempt to reverse it.”

“I cannot allow us to engage all our resources on your proposed course of action, Ensign. Given that there is only a twenty three point six eight per cent...”

“I know the odds, Father!” Dana said slapping her PADD on the table. She quickly regained composure and breathed deeply, “My apologies, Commander. I am merely asking you to trust me on this matter. I can solve the problem if you and Uncle Scotty help me. I have a hunch...”

“A hunch?” said Spock sharply, his eyebrows drawn close, “Ensign, I do not operate on ‘hunches’ and neither should you!”

Dana looked as if she had been slapped. She fell back into her seat, content on fixing Spock with an all-too-familiar glare.

Kirk cleared his throat. “Mr. Spock, what would you recommend?”

Spock looked away from Dana and turned to Kirk instead, “Captain, at this time I suggest that Mr. Scott and I...”

“I can show you, if you will let me,” said Dana suddenly, cutting off Spock.

The others turned to look at her.

“I am suggesting that the Commander initiate a mind meld,” she said, choosing her words carefully.

Everyone turned to look at Spock. He sat in his seat, silent as a stone.

“It will help him read my thoughts on the matter clearly and seamlessly. And he will be able to understand all that I cannot explain in words.”

“Spock, what do you think?” Kirk pressed. “Will you be willing to do it?”

If Spock’s expression was anything to go by, he was anything but willing. Yet, he quelled under Kirk’s gaze and nodded his head shortly, in agreement.

Spock got up from his seat and took a place in front of Dana. Flexing his long fingers, he slowly placed them at her psi points.

“My mind, to your mind. Your mind to mine.” he said softly in Vulcan.

Spock was instantly connected to Dana’s thoughts. A flurry of colours, shapes and voices overtook his consciousness.

_I have been trying to interpret the tricorder readings. They show a rift in space._

  
_This can only mean one thing; I have been transported back in time, to a point before my birth._

  
_I feel...distressed. My parents are not together in this world. I doubt they even like each other. I resent Dr. Marcus’s presence in Dad’s life._

  
_The discrepancies in the readings are not self-explanatory. They require further study._

_  
I don’t like being stuck here. It appears I am unwanted in this world. If Dad and Father really hate each other, then they must hate me all the more._

  
_The discrepancies show an additional rift in time! This is fascinating._

  
_This means we are stuck in a dimensional limbo. I have travelled back in time in my universe to an inflexion point of sorts. From here onwards, there are multiple points in space I can return to._

  
_I must figure out how to reach my own universe. I will require Father and Uncle Scotty’s expertise on this to assist me with my calculations. The sooner I leave this ship the better. Though I will miss young Uncle Bones._

  
_Father, I am seeking you out through our bond. Can you hear me, Father? I have been trying to contact you every day, during meditation hours._

  
_Perhaps mental bonds do not transcend time and space travel._

  
_If Father cannot hear me, there is no way Dad can. Can you hear me, Dad?_

  
Kirk heard a short gasp escape from Dana, as she tried to pull away, but Spock’s fingers were plastered on her face and forehead and he showed no signs of letting on. The frown of concentration on his face deepened as he took in more of Dana’s mind.

Spock felt the surroundings of their shared mind change abruptly. The thoughts became more erratic and unclear. The colours heightened, changing rapidly before they settled on a reddish hue. The burning sensation indicated elevated temperatures.

_“Oh my God, Spock! She’s perfect, absolutely perfect!”_

  
_“Indeed, Jim.”_

  
_“Well, what are we going to name her? Amanda, after your mother? Or Winona after mine?"_

  
_“I confess, Jim, I have not given this any thought.”  
_

_“What did the Vulcan nurse say when she handed her to me?”_

  
_“She said inter-species Vulcan offsprings born of genetic engineering are not common. This infant is quite special, and she will be a_ danik tal-kam kan _, a most dear child of her parents.”_

  
_“Dan-what?”_

  
_“_ Danik tal-kam kan _. I thought your Vulcan was getting better, Jim.”_

  
_“You heard that, Dana. You’re our most dear child!”_

  
_“That is an illogical name for our offspring, Jim.”_

  
_“Don’t lie, Spock. You love it!”_

These were memories Spock realised, his own mind drowning in the sea of new information and feelings. Memories, locked away in the child’s mind. Memories she probably doesn’t even remember having.

  
_“Dana, please don’t run. You’ll fall!”_

  
A sharp physical pain passed through their mind.

  
_“Don’t cry sweetheart, Daddy’s got you. Spock! Come here, her knee is bleeding.”_

  
_“She’ll be alright, Jim.”_

  
_“But she’s lost a lot of blood.”_

  
_“Vulcan blood is less viscous than human blood, Jim. I assure you she’ll be fine. I shall take her to sickbay and McCoy will help her out. Dana, come to Father.”_

  
Spock’s mind calmed for a second and then was pulled into a new scene.

  
_“It doesn’t matter what you choose, Dana. You will have a proud Father and a proud Dad.”_

  
_“Feeling pride is not logical, Father.”_

  
_“I never said it was.”_

  
_“I could choose to enter either the Command or Science track, and it would not make any difference to either of you?”_

  
_“Darling, you could choose to join the Vulcan Science Academy instead of Starfleet and it would not make any difference to us.”_

  
_“That is irrelevant, Dad! I’m not applying to the VSA.”_

  
_“Well, they’d be lucky to have you, is all my saying. Isn’t that right, Spock?”_

  
_“Undoubtedly, Jim.”_

  
There was a long pause. A moment of complete vacuum in an otherwise chaotic mind, and then, after a beat...

_“Dana, we’re beaming up now.”_

  
_“I need to collect a few more samples, Captain.”_

  
_“Alright, we’ll wait.”_

  
_“Unnecessary, Captain. You can beam back with the landing party. I will follow shortly.”_

  
_“Not a chance dear.”_

  
_“Dad, please! I shall only take another 4.36 minutes. These samples are important.”_

_“Okay, see you on the ship.”_

  
A short, sharp sense of regret and grief, and then...

  
_“Permission to collect three more samples, sir.”_

  
_“Permission denied.”_

  
Another pause.

  
_“Father, you should have come with us. You would have loved this planet.”_

  
_“Indeed.”_

A hint of a smile.

  
_“Mr. Scott and I are going to beam you aboard now. Prepare to stand by.”_

Dana screamed.

Kirk was immediately at her side, “Spock, let her go! You’re hurting her!”

Spock pried his fingers away from her, a look of utter shock and devastation on his face. Tears washed his eyes and he began shaking uncontrollably.

Kirk abandoned Dana’s side and rushed to Spock’s instead. He clasped his First Officer’s shoulders in an attempt to stop him from shaking.

“My mind is too disorderly and emotional. I couldn’t maintain my shields and now I’ve hurt him.” Dana said, her voice cracking. She reached out to touch Spock, her fingers outstretched.

Spock recoiled at once, convulsing in his seat, his eyes welled with unshed tears.

Kirk shook his head. McCoy came and restrained Dana’s wrists, careful to touch her shirtsleeves only.

“I was unable to clear my mind of emotions and now they’ve been transferred to him. He might get injured. Please! Let me help.” Dana cried.

Kirk slowly loosened his grip on Spock’s shoulders. Dana pried her wrists away from McCoy and extended her right hand to Spock.

Very slowly, Spock extended his left hand towards her and let their fingertips touch, in what Kirk recognised was a common Vulcan expression of familial love, especially between parents and children.

Warmth and comfort flowed from Dana’s mind, flooding Spock’s, calming and soothing him. The shaking stopped. So did the tears. Composing himself, he withdrew his hand, breaking the contact.

“I am so sorry, Father.” whispered Dana. “I have failed to maintain my shields. I have failed to purge my emotions. I have let the chaos of my mind and my humanity overtake me. I almost hurt you.” her voice was almost breaking at this point, “I have failed you. For that, I am sorry.”

Spock stood up abruptly, avoiding eye contact with Dana. “Captain, I must excuse myself.”

“Yes, of course Mr. Spock. You are excused.” Kirk said somewhat unwillingly.

Spock turned to leave hastily. Dana made to follow him, ignoring McCoy’s warning glance.

“Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” Kirk asked. 

“Permission to...”

“Permission denied.”

Dana sat back in her chair, quietly, her sullen silence invading the atmosphere of the conference room.

…… 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dana attempts to meditate at night.

**USS Enterprise, Ensign Quarters, Stardate 2260.60**  
  
 

Dana sighed, clearing her table and lighting the incense sticks.

The events of the day had taken a toll on her, mentally and emotionally. She could only imagine how much worse it had to have been for Commander Spock; to have seen the things she had seen, to have felt what she had felt.

Her mat was already spread out on the floor. Clothed in traditional Vulcan meditation robes that she had replicated for herself from the stores, her long, open hair combed and side-parted neatly, she sat down, attempting to clear her mind and purge herself of emotions. 

_I am in control of my emotions._

  
_I am in control._

  
_My mind is clear. I am focused._

  
_I am probing the far corners of my mind, trying to reach my familial bond with Father._

  
_Father, are you there?_

  
**_My mind is under control._ **

  
**_I am purged of all emotions._ **

  
**_There is a disturbance in my mind. An unfamiliar presence makes itself known._ **

  
**_I shall attempt to remove it. I must clear my mind of all influences._ **

  
**_I am in control. I am in control._ **

  
Dana’s eyes flew open. She recognised her Father’s presence in her mind, but his response was not logical.

  
She schooled her mind into calm again, breathing in and out deeply. Closing her eyes, she resumed her focus.

  
_My mind is blank once again._

  
_My thoughts are my own._

  
_My emotions are under control._

  
_I am lowering my mental shields. I am searching the far corners of my telepathic mind for the presence of my Father._

  
_Father, I am attempting to contact you through our shared familial bond. Are you there?_

**_  
Dana?_ ** **Danik tal-kam kan _, is that you?_**

  
_Father! You cannot imagine how happy I am to feel your presence at long last._

  
**_Believe me, my daughter, I can. I feel it in my own mind._ **

  
_Apologies. I shall try to refrain from projecting..._

  
**_Unnecessary, my child. It is a relief to feel your presence. Are you well?_ **

  
_Very well, Father._

  
**_And are you safe?_ **

  
_I am aboard the Enterprise._

  
**_Are you trapped?_ **

  
Concern flooded Dana’s mind projected through the bond.

  
_Negative, Father. I have been transported back in time. It is currently Stardate 2260.59._

  
**_Hmm. Interesting. Have you been able to ascertain a way to return?_ **

  
_I am working on it._

  
**_I have done some calculations of my own. This is a dimensional rift, Dana. You have to manipulate both time and space factors.  
_**

_I surmised as much, Father._

  
**_Very well, Dana. Your Dad and I look forward to having you back._ **

  
_Is Dad with you, Father. I would very much like to feel his presence in my mind, as well._

  
**_That can be arranged._ **

  
**_Dana, sweetheart..._ **

  
_Dad!_

  
**_I’m so glad you’re okay, honey. You have no idea how worried we’ve been._ **

  
_I’m getting the sense of it._

  
**_Now you do what you do best and figure out a way to get back, okay?_ **

  
_I’m afraid its not going to be that easy, Dad._

  
_**What is the one thing I’ve taught you Dana Sarika Kirk?**_   


_There’s no such thing as a no-win scenario._

  
Dana’s closed eyes stung with unexpected tears.

  
**_Dana?_ **

  
_Yes, Father?_

  
**_We must end the contact now._ **

  
_Yes Father._

  
**_If possible, we’ll talk again tomorrow, sweetie._ **

  
_Yes, Dad. Goodbye for now. Peace and long life, Father._

  
**_Live long and prosper, Dana._ **

  
Dana opened her eyes. She worked quickly on shielding her mind, and allowed herself the human reprieve of a few tears. Soon enough she got up and began folding her mat only to be interrupted by a buzz on the door. 

The intercom crackled to life.

“Ensign Kirk, if you would please open the door. I wish to speak with you.”

Dana frowned and pressed the button and the door swished open.

Spock was standing outside in his meditation robe, hands folded behind his back.

“Commander, it is 0330 hours.”

“I am aware of the time, Ensign. It is necessary that we speak.”

Dana stepped away from the door to allow him to enter. Spock didn’t budge.

“Perhaps we could go somewhere else? I do not wish to disturb the other Ensigns.”

Dana nodded once and followed Spock out the corridor.  
  
  
……


	14. Chapter 14

**USS Enterprise, Observation Deck, Stardate 2260.60**   


Spock led Dana along a familiar path that led to the ship’s observation deck. Without bothering to turn on the lights, he walked till he was in front of the giant glass window, a canvas of stars painted across the inky, black sky.

Dana came and stood next to her not-Father, shoulder to shoulder, in a matching stance, hands clasped behind her back. There was a small smile playing on her lips.

“It’s good to see that you’ve always liked this place.”

“Dana, I have been unable to focus on my meditation for the past few days,” Spock said, getting straight to the point. The use of her first name garnered a lifted eyebrow in response from the girl.

“I have been experiencing a disturbance in the far corners of my mind that hindered my concentration,” Spock went on. “After the mind-meld with you yesterday, I was able to locate the source of the disturbance. It is you.”

Dana did not volunteer any comments. She shifted her weight from one leg to another, betraying her un-Vulcan-like restlessness.

“In addition, I was party to an unblocking in your mind, that no doubt allowed you to contact your parents, in your own universe.” Spock angled his shoulders towards her slightly, “I apologise from the outset. You should know, that it was not my intention to pry. But I found myself unable to maintain shields to block out your contact.”

“Of course,” muttered Dana.

Spock paused, turning to look at the stars again. “I heard you converse with your ‘Dad’, who was undoubtedly the Captain. I recognised his voice.” Dana was surprised at his tone. His voice was soft, yet almost harsh, as if every word was being ripped out of his own throat without his consent.

Dana turned to look at her not-Father, a profound sadness in her eyes.

“I also heard you call out to your Father, but I was unable to hear any response from his end.”

“No.”

It was Dana’s turn to be surprised at her own voice. It sounded like it hadn’t been used in years.

Spock exhaled, and then paused, waiting for her to explain.

“You couldn’t hear my Father, because you cannot bond or mind-meld with yourself. You can, with your alternate universe self. But not with your real self, even if you come from different times.”

The few seconds of silence between them stretched on for what felt like hours.

Eventually Spock turned towards her. “Dana,” he said very softly. Dana was sure that without her Vulcan hearing, she would have missed it entirely.

Spock lifted an arm uncertainly and placed it gently on her shoulder.

“What would you have me say, Father?” she said, her voice breaking.

Surprised at the tears pooling in her eyes and spilling onto her cheeks, she turned her head away and hastened trying to wipe them discreetly on the sleeves of her robe. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cry. I know it makes you uncomfortable. I let my control slip. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Spock withdrew his arm. When he didn’t speak, Dana said sadly, “You must be so ashamed of me.”

“Dana,” Spock sounded horrified, “I could never be ashamed of you.”

Dana shook her head, “That’s not going to help me return to my future, is it Commander?”

Spock noted the renewed use of his title but didn’t comment.

“I will do everything in power to ensure…”

“It’s not just up to you, you know that right?” Dana cut him off, “We have another unpredictable variable on our hands. I’d like to see you form an equation without him.”

“Tomorrow Mr. Scott and I are going to sit down and work on the calculations you suggested. If they appear to be workable, we will have to try and test your theory somehow," Spock said.

Dana nodded. She paused for a moment and then added, “Thank you, for believing in my hunch.”

Spock frowned in confusion, “Thanks is unnecessary…”

“Oh yes, I forgot.” Dana rolled her eyes in an annoyingly Jim Kirk-like manner.

“Following up on your ‘hunch’ is the only logical path ahead of us, improbable though it may appear to be.” Spock went on, taking the interruption in his stride.

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,” said Dana, now grinning shamelessly.

Spock raised his eyebrow, recognising the words to be his own, quoted from one of his ancestor’s works. “It is late. We have to report for duty at the start of the alpha shift. I shall escort you to your quarters now.”

“Unnecessary, Commander. I know my way. But that look on your face tells me that it doesn’t make any difference to you. You are going to walk me, anyway. Lead the way, sir.”

Spock turned, with a swish of his robes, concealing the amusement in his eyes from Dana, and the two of them left the observation deck.  
……


	15. Chapter 15

**USS Enterprise, Bridge, Stardate 2260.60**   


Kirk drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. He turned to look at the clock on the bridge. Sulu and Chekov would be back from lunch soon, which meant that he could take a break.

“Captain,” Uhura turned in her seat to look at him, “How long do you think we will be orbiting this planet, sir?”

“I can’t say, Uhura. I suppose, at this point we have to wait for Mr. Spock and Ensign…Dana to finish their experiments,” said Kirk, choosing his words carefully.

“Do you think they’ll be able to find a way to send her back to the future, sir?” asked Uhura earnestly.

Kirk froze in his seat. “You know?”

Uhura smiled at him pityingly. “Permission to speak freely, Captain?”

“Always, Uhura,” said Kirk smiling in his usual charming way.

“No offence sir, but word on this ship travels fast. She singlehandedly took on Mr. Scott, Engineer Mehta and a dozen or so Security and Command officers. She would have probably nerve pinched her way out of there if Mr. Spock hadn’t come and intervened. We don’t have to be rocket scientists to figure out who she is, sir.”

Kirk should have probably said something to Uhura, but found that he couldn’t stop grinning, “She is quite a girl, isn’t she?”

“Yes, Captain. And quite charming, too. Why just yesterday, she was at the bridge, at the start of the alpha shift, telling me how happy she was to see her ‘Aunty Nyota’.”

“Who’s that?”

“Who’s that? Why, it’s me sir! Nyota is my first name.”

“Really?” Kirk sounded genuinely surprised, “I honestly thought Uhura was your first name.”

They were interrupted by Sulu and Chekhov’s arrival on the bridge.

“Where’s Scotty? Engineering?” Kirk enquired.

Sulu shook his head. “He’s still in the Science Lab with Mr. Spock and Dana.”

“Well, I might as well go and check up on them. Mr. Sulu, mind the store.” Kirk hopped off the Captain’s chair and proceeded to the turbolift.

He made his way down to Science Lab 3. Scotty and Spock were sitting at the workstation, surrounded by a mountain of PADDs. Dana was rambling numbers and figures without pausing for breath.

“Since we have tested the viability of the equations theoretically, may I now request permission to conduct a short practical experiment?” she paused as she noticed Kirk walk in, “Good afternoon, Captain.”

“Am I disturbing?” Kirk asked good naturedly, leaning on the counter next to where Spock was sitting.

“Not particularly, Captain. Mr. Scott and Ensign Kirk have made remarkable progress on the theories outlined by the Ensign yesterday,” said Spock.

“Aye, Mr. Spock, although you did most of the work,” said Scotty, grinning at the First Officer and then at Kirk, “But I gotta tell you, Captain. This girl of yours here, is one of the sharpest young things I ever met. You must be real proud.”

Scotty turned to look at Dana, standing with her hands clasped behind her back, bouncing on the heels of her shoes. “Yer sure you want to head over to Science and Command? Starfleet Engineering could use someone like you.”

Dana smiled in response, a faint, green blush creeping in on her cheeks. She was wearing her Science blue uniform again today. Her blonde hair had been pulled back and tied into a tight bun, in a way Kirk remembered his mother doing frequently.

“Well, I came to enquire if any of you would care to join me for lunch at the cafeteria,” said Kirk.

“Aye, Captain. I could do with a sandwich right about now,” said Scotty, extricating himself from the computer and getting up.

“Spock?” Kirk enquired hopefully.

“I do not require sustenance at the time, Captain.”

“Come anyway. And you can explain to me exactly what the three of you have been up to all morning.”

“Very well, Jim.”

“Good. Dana, come,” said Kirk, extending his hand.

“If you will excuse me, Captain, I would like to get a start on the experiment, with Commander Spock’s permission.” Dana said, inclining her head in an angle.

“Are you sure? Can’t it wait till after lunch?” pressed Kirk.

“There’s no time like the present, Captain. Like the Commander, I do not require sustenance at the time. While he and Engineer Scott take a lunch break, I can set up the experiment and get it running. They can return in time to help me wrap it up.”

“Sounds logical,” Spock ventured.

“Very well,” Kirk agreed grudgingly.

“Where would you like to perform the experiment, Ensign?” Spock asked.

“This laboratory will suffice. I shall take the material from the supplies closet. Since the other scientists are also on their lunch break, I will work alone with Lieutenant Jordan.” Dana motioned to a dark, curly-haired woman standing in front of one of the computers, making notes on her PADD. On hearing her name, she turned around and smiled at the group, nodding once.

Spock nodded and got up gracefully. The three men exited the laboratory.

Over lunch Spock attempted to explain Dana’s logic to Kirk.

“So you’re telling me, that she’s from the future of our timeline?” Kirk said, incredulously, his fork laden with pasta suspended in mid-air in front of him. McCoy had been too busy to join them for lunch, so Kirk had taken this opportunity to replicate himself a plate of pasta instead of the usual leafy, green nonsense the doctor forced him to eat.

“Yes,” said Spock, his lips barely moving. He sat still in his seat, his arms folded across his chest.

Scotty was wolfing down his sandwich in an attempt to finish it quickly and make up some excuse to go to the bridge and somehow avoid the Most Embarrassing Conversation in the History of Time.

“But that means…that means…” Kirk fumbled.

“Indeed, Captain.”

Kirk wanted to say something along the lines of “This is hardly the time to be calling me Captain, Spock. We just found out we have a child together.” Instead, he settled on putting his fork down, pushing his plate away and picking up his tumbler of water to take a few sips.

“So what do we do now, Spock? I mean, how do we send her back to her Stardate?” he said after swallowing half the tumbler.

“We have to first ensure she has a future at all, Jim. Mr. Scott and I have been working on it. Dana’s practical experiment might bring new insights to the theory. The fold in space and time picked up by Dana and our ship respectively hints at a dimensional vacuum of sorts. A point of inflexion. From here onwards, time can move forward in any one of many different points in space.”

“Like multiple parallel universes?” said Kirk, quickly, catching on.

“Precisely. We have to ensure Dana returns to her universe,” said Spock.

“You just said she belongs in our universe.”

“But if we change her reality now, she will not. There are just too many variables. In all probability, she will cease to exist in our timeline. She will never have been born.”

“We can’t let that happen, Spock!” said Kirk alarmed. “If you’re in this with me, then I want to see it through to the end. It’s just a matter of combining our DNAs. When the time comes…”

Scotty leapt to his feet. No way was he going to sit here and listen to his commanding officers engage in family planning. He had had it up to here with their longing glances and stares and the constant undercurrent of sexual tension that always pervaded the bridge.

“I’ll take your leave now, Captain, Mr. Spock.”

“Very well, Scotty.”

“Mr. Scott, will you be returning to Science Lab 3?”

“Not right away, Mr. Spock. I have to go the bridge first and check up on the Engineering station. Is that alright?”

“Quite alright, Mr. Scott.”

Scotty hastily exited. Kirk and Spock leaned forward, their heads almost touching and continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.

“I am not sure if the matter is as simple as we’re making it out to be, Jim. I believe Dana knows more than she is letting on. But I cannot force her to tell me. Perhaps she will tell you,” said Spock, not quite shrugging.

“Why? She clearly likes you better,” said Kirk, a hint of frustration in his voice.

“What gave you that impression?” asked Spock frowning.

“You know…” Kirk waved his hand vaguely.

“I do not. Please explain.”

“It’s just…you know what, never mind.” Kirk picked up his fork in an attempt to take a few bites of his lunch.

The silence stretched on between them.

“She is exceedingly similar to you in nature,” Spock said abruptly, his arms still folded, “Since you are a self-actualized human being, I would have thought that she would turn to you as you are emotionally equipped to deal with her and her human…traits.”

“You mean her human shortcomings,” said Kirk scathingly.

Spock shifted an inch in his seat, his frown intensifying, “That is not what I said. I have great respect for Dana and the way she resolves her Vulcan and Terran heritage into her nature far more efficiently than I have ever managed. But we digress from the topic…”

“Dana’s nothing like me, Spock. I don’t know where you’re getting it from, but she’s all you. She’s smart, she’s intelligent, she’s beautiful, she’s the bravest sixteen year old I’ve ever met. I don’t know why you can’t see it,” said Kirk.

Spock looked like he was about to say something but thought better of it. Kirk finally gave up on his pasta and finished his water instead. He looked up to see McCoy standing above them, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Am I interrupting something?” said McCoy, a wide grin on his face, “Oh please don’t stop on my account.”

Spock blushed uncharacteristically, the tips of his ears turning green. Clearing his throat, he got up from his seat. “If you will excuse me, Captain, Doctor, I must take your leave now. I have to go to the bridge also to get updates from the Science station before I return to the Science Lab.” He turned swiftly and left.

McCoy slid into the seat Spock had just vacated. “Are you going to eat that?” he asked pointing at the cold plate of replicated pasta.

Kirk shook his head and pushed the plate towards McCoy. The doctor attacked it with the fork.

“Penny for your thoughts, Jim?” McCoy asked between mouthfuls of pasta, a teasing smile on his lips, his bright, blue eyes twinkling.

“Where do I begin, Bones? It turns out Dana might be our daughter, after all. It also turns out that she might never have been born because of dimensional inflexion points. And I can’t wrap my head around all these things without…oh! And also, Spock thinks I’m a ‘self-actualized human being’.”

“Yeah, I heard that part.”

“God, Bones. How long were you standing there, eavesdropping?”

“Don’t look at me like that. The hobgoblin is supposed to have superhuman hearing ability. It’s not my fault he was too distracted listening to your heartfelt confessions to not have noticed me sooner,” McCoy snickered.

“Just go away, Bones.”

“Don’t worry, Jim. Spock just thinks you’re self-actualized because he doesn’t have very good yardsticks of measurement.”

“You’re probably right about that, though.”

“You will find out soon enough that I am right about most things,” retorted McCoy.

The doctor’s jokes earned him a friendly swat on the arm.

Kirk was waiting for McCoy to finish the last of the pasta, to return to the bridge, when suddenly the red alert went on. The klaxons started blaring and Kirk rushed to the comm on the wall. The comm beeped to life even before Kirk had a chance to press the button.

“Bridge to Captain!”

“Kirk, here.”

“Captain, there has been an explosion on Deck 3. Source of explosion, Science Lab 3, sir.” Uhura’s voice patched through.

The colour drained from Kirk’s face. McCoy came to stand next to him.

“Sir, you better get down there immediately.”

Kirk pressed the button once to cut off the communication and turned to face McCoy, ashen faced. “Bones, get to sickbay now.” With that he hurtled out the cafeteria into the corridor as fast as he could.

 

……


	16. Chapter 16

**USS Enterprise, Science Lab 3, Stardate 2260.60**   


Spock knew something was wrong.

He knew it before he reached the bridge.

He knew it before the left wing shook of the ship with the impact of the explosion.

He knew before the red alert blasted and the klaxons started wailing.

On the way to the bridge, he broke into a run, heading for the nearest turbolift. Inside the lift, as it whirred to Deck 3, Spock cursed himself for not taking the stairs.

Once he reached the corridor, he saw Science officers milling about, crowding the comm on the wall, some of them on their communicators.

“Mr. Spock!” cried Lieutenant Hamid, one of the senior Science officers, standing near the door.

Spock came to a halt in front of the door to the Science Lab.

“Report, Lieutenant.”

“The door is jammed shut, Mr. Spock. It won’t open. I’ve tried all kinds of manual overrides and controls,” Hamid rambled, “Ensign Dana and Lieutenant Jordan are inside. I have been trying to communicate with them, sir. But I don’t have a response yet,” she stopped to breathe.

“Mr. Spock,” Lieutenant Morris came up to them running, a communicator pressed to his ear, “I have Engineering on the line, sir. They’re sending security personnel with phasers to cut through the door.”

“It might be too late for that, Lieutenant.” Spock turned to regard the door.

The other Science officers looked on with mixed awe and shock as Spock pressed his fingers to the side of the door and began to pull.

A wave of whispers ensued as the crowd looked on in disbelief as Spock pried the door open an inch. He dug his fingers into the crack between the door and the wall and pushed mightily, with all his Vulcanoid strength till it gave away.

“Stay!” he ordered the other officers as he pushed his way in.

No sooner had he entered the lab, than he almost tripped over something heavy and unmoving. Straining his eyes to see, since all the lights had been blown out and most of the consoles and computers had short-circuited, engulfing the lab in thick, black fumes, Spock found that it was Lieutenant Jordan.

She was alive, but unconscious. She was trapped under the table, her legs appeared to have been broken by the impact.

He lifted the table off of her and picked her by the armpits, dragging her out of the smoke-filled room.

“Call sickbay. Ask them to get a stretcher,” he ordered shortly, before re-entering the lab.

His heart hammering at his side, he peered through the darkness, allowing his mind to guide him to Dana’s presence. He stepped lightly over broken machinery and glass, avoiding open circuits that were still sparking. The acrid smell of burning plastic filled his nostrils. He shut all of it out, trying to focus only on Dana.

Eventually, he found her, at the far end of the lab. She had curled her body into a ball to minimize impact of the explosion. Spock knelt by her side, putting a hand to the side of her face.

She was conscious, but barely. “Lieutenant Jordan? Is she alive?” she coughed.

Spock nodded, “Affirmative. Injured but safe.”

“It was my fault. I tried so hard to save her, Father. I pushed her out of the way before the explosion hit…” her eyes flickered.

Spock wound one of her arms around his neck and lifted her off the floor in his arms. Stepping over the debris he carried her out of the lab.

Several Engineering, Security and Command personnel had also joined the Science officers in the corridor. On seeing their First Officer, they wordlessly stepped aside. Spock began walking down the corridor, carrying Dana towards sickbay.

He turned the corner to head towards the turbolift and almost crashed into the Captain.

Kirk looked distraught and out of breath. “I’m sorry, the turbolifts were busy so I took the stairs, otherwise I would’ve gotten here sooner,” he gasped.

Looking at the unconscious figure in Spock’s arms, who’s head was leaning in on Spock’s shoulder, he cried out, “Oh my God! Spock, is she hurt?”

“I don’t know, Captain.” Spock continued striding towards the lift. Kirk matched his pace with Spock’s.

“Please God, she has to be okay,” Kirk groaned, panic and fear rising in his throat, as they quickly entered the turbolift.

“Sickbay,” said Spock, as the lift whirred into motion.

“We shouldn’t have left her alone there. This is my fault.” Kirk said, shaking his head, a sinking feeling of dread washing over him.

“Jim,” Spock said quietly, “Blaming yourself is illogical.”

“She could die, Spock!”

“Jim,” said Spock, louder this time, “We are taking her to sickbay. Dr. McCoy will see to her and we’ll know then.”

“Okay,” Kirk said calming down somewhat, but only just.

The turbolift doors opened and they walked out.

McCoy was in his element. “I need a transportable biobed here, stat! Get M’Benga and Chapel to OR 2 and prep all three of us for a sonic scrub!”

A flurry of activity followed and the nurses took Dana away.

“You two, stay right here,” McCoy ordered as a nurse snapped on a scrub cap and mask on his head.

Kirk nodded mutely. Spock collapsed into a chair in the waiting area, the adrenaline rush gone, the gravity of the situation too much for him to handle. The fight had gone out of him, and he looked defeated, boneless, and vulnerable.

Kirk couldn’t bear to see his friend like that. He sat down in the seat next to him and reached out and took both of Spock’s hands into his own. Spock intertwined his fingers with the Captain’s as they waited for the OR light to turn red.

……


	17. Chapter 17

**USS Enterprise, Sickbay, Stardate 2260.60  
**  

McCoy came out of the OR two hours later. Spock extricated his hands from Kirk’s and stood up.

“How is she, Doctor?”

McCoy wiped his brow, nodding, “She’s out of danger.”

Both Kirk and Spock exhaled as McCoy continued, “She had ingested a lot of poisonous gases. We were able to pump it out. I put her on meds to take care of the damage to the pulmonary lining, and it was working fine, till her body started rejecting it.”

“Why?” asked Kirk, shocked.

McCoy put up a hand, “I’m not finished yet. She had also suffered some X-ray radiation poisoning, causing some cell damage. I may have been able to reverse it. Other than that; minor abrasions, cuts and bruises. I’ve given her proper medication for everything, but of course everything has probably been rendered redundant.”

Spock looked just about as confused as Kirk, “Explain, Doctor.”

“She’s placed herself in a healing trance.”

“She can do that?” asked Kirk incredulously.

“I’m not sure how she’s doing it. I don’t think that even she knew she could do it, but M’Benga says that it’s working, slowly, but steadily. So our best bet is to wait for her to heal by herself and come out of her self-induced coma,” McCoy shrugged.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Spock inclined his head at McCoy.

“Don’t mention it, Spock,” McCoy said cheerfully, patting him on the shoulder. Taking advantage of Spock’s complacency, he whipped out a medical tricorder and spun it over Spock.

The Vulcan glared back at him.

“Just checking, just checking!” McCoy huffed, hastily stowing his tricorder away, “Need to make sure you didn’t inhale any of those damned poisonous fumes.”

“Bones, do you think we can go see her?” Kirk asked.

“I don’t see why not. Though, let me warn you, she’ll be quite unresponsive for the next 48 hours or so, if M’Benga’s predictions are anything to go by.”

Spock and Kirk followed McCoy inside the intensive care pod. Nurse Chapel was at the foot of the bed, updating Dana’s chart.  
  
“Her vitals are elevated, but still stable,” Chapel reported.

McCoy nodded, “Keep monitoring her and send me hourly reports.”

Kirk went to Dana’s bedside. She looked very small in the oversized biobed. A saline drip was attached to her arm, and her slanted eyebrows were drawn in concentration. This was the only indication that she was not asleep, and, in fact, in a great deal of pain.

Kirk took a seat next to the head of the bed. Nurse Chapel wordlessly drew another chair for Spock. Kirk stole a glance at Spock and then looked at Dana again, a look of acute distress on his face. Moments later, he spoke up, “Bones, I need you to comm Scotty and tell him to take charge. Spock and I are going to be here for a while.”

“That’s alright, Jim. Anything else?”

“Can I…” Kirk asked motioning towards Dana’s sides, “hold her hand?”

“She’s in a healing trance, Jim. You can’t touch her. Although…” he said, walking over to the supplies cabinet and taking out a couple of plastic wrapped blue packets and tossing them to Kirk, “here are a couple of rubber gloves. Should do the trick. Now if you two will excuse me, I have to go check on Jordan.”

Kirk and Spock chose to remain in sickbay watching over the unconscious Dana for the next few days.

The ship was still in orbit over Theta Upsilon 742 and duty shifts on the bridge were uneventful. Science Lab 3 was being cleaned up. The computers had been destroyed and they had lost all their data, but Spock had been able to restore most of it from the cloud and the rest by relying on his memory. He spent most his time, sitting in the chair next to Dana’s bed, tapping away at his PADD, refusing meals until McCoy threatened to hypo him.

Kirk and he shared most of their meals in McCoy’s office, unwilling to go even as far as the cafeteria. McCoy joined them when he was free.

Thirty nine hours after Dana’s surgery, Kirk had dozed off in his seat, one glove-covered hand gently holding on to Dana’s. Spock was seated at the other side, eyes closed, head leaning back, legs crossed, fingertips steepled.

Dana stirred, her hand inside Kirk’s clenching and unclenching. Kirk woke with a start.

“Captain?” Dana said hoarsely, her eyes half-lidded.

“Dana? You awake?” he said, sitting upright.

“Yes, and no,” Dana said softly, “Captain, I need you to take off the gloves.”

“What?” Kirk asked, uncertain of what he had heard.

“Take…off the gloves.”

Kirk quickly pulled his hand out of Dana’s and yanked the gloves out. Dana reached by herself and touched the fingertips of her own hand to Kirk’s. An easy warmth flooded Kirk, as he smiled at the girl on the biobed. She clasped the rest of his hand and opened her eyes.  
  
Misty, hazel eyes greeted Dana, smiling at her.

“Captain,” she said, clearing her throat, “It is good to see you.”

“You have no idea.” Kirk said softly, shaking his head.

“Why are we whispering?” whispered Dana.

Kirk motioned to Spock sitting on the other side, “He’s sleeping.”

“Not really,” Dana said, “He’s resting. It’s a mental state, somewhere between sleeping and meditating. He’ll be back with us soon.”

She tried to get up, but Kirk restrained her shoulder with his other hand. “I should call the doctor first.”

“I assure you, Captain, I am quite alright. Besides, Nurse Chapel will be coming to visit in another 2.87 minutes to monitor my hourly readings,” said Dana.

“So the healing trance worked?”

“I am as surprised as you are, Captain. But undoubtedly, it did.”

Kirk covered her hand with his other one, “Why did you have to go and do something so stupid?”

“I am not sure as to what you referring to, Captain.”

“You had to risk your neck and save the Lieutenant’s life, did you? You almost got yourself killed. Do you know what universe ending paradoxes could have been resulted if you had?” Kirk demanded.

“No,” she said, looking downcast.

“Well, neither do I. The point is, you shouldn’t have done it. We can’t afford to lose you. You call yourself Spock’s daughter? That was the most illogical thing anyone could have done.” Kirk said, lightening up.

Dana shook her head; “I made a mistake in the experiment. A careless, human error. I put Lieutenant Jordan’s life in danger. When the matter was about to explode, I had to make sure she was safe, so I pushed her towards the door and braced for impact myself. I’m part-Vulcan; I can take a few hits. She can’t. I knew that it was the only way to make sure we both came out of there alive.”

“How could you have been so sure of yourself?” Kirk looked at her in amazement.

“I don’t believe in no-win scenarios.”

The feeling of warmth and love that had been filling Kirk’s heart was suddenly accentuated with an additional stab of longing.

Spock stirred in his chair, “Dana, you are awake.”

“Indeed, Commander.” Dana turned her head to look at him. Kirk felt her hand slip out of his.

“And are you well?”

“Very well, Commander.” Dana nodded.

“I am pleased to hear that. Jim, are you alright?” Spock turned to look at the Captain, “Jim?”

“Yes, Spock?” Kirk tore his eyes away from Dana to look at his First.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, Spock.”

“Your face is wet,” Spock observed.

“Uh, yeah. We should…uh…call Nurse and have her check her out. And we should probably inform Bones as well.” Kirk said rubbing his hands over his eyes and cheeks, pointedly not looking at the other two.

Spock stood up, inclining his head towards Dana in farewell and walked to the door, waiting at the entrance for the Captain to catch up. Nurse Chapel walked in, and on seeing Dana awake, left to fetch McCoy.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Jim?” he leaned in and asked again once the Captain and he were shoulder-to-shoulder.

“Yes, Mr. Spock. Come along, we have a bridge to mind. Goodbye Dana.”

Before Dana had a chance to reply, they were gone, their absence immediately filled with Nurse Chapel, Dr. McCoy and his ammunition of tricorders and hyposprays.

……


	18. Chapter 18

**USS Enterprise, Recreation Room 2, Stardate 2260.63**   
  


Things had returned to normal on the USS Enterprise. Well, as normal as they could possibly get aboard this ship.

Kirk and Spock were sitting in Rec Room 2, playing chess, as was their custom on Thursday evenings. As usual, they had attracted a small crowd of crewmembers, many of who served with them on the bridge. Their audience, Kirk strongly suspected, had a weekly betting ring going on the outcome of their chess matches.

Spock made a move to check him, and Kirk spotted Sulu lean over to Scotty’s side and whisper something. Scotty nodded and began tapping furiously on his PADD.

Kirk was distracted enough to let Spock have this game. There was a smattering of applause in the room and Spock inclined his head, his long fingers swiftly moving to rearrange the pieces on the board.

“I think we’ll call it a day, Spock,” Kirk said, stretching.

“As you wish, Captain,” said Spock, putting away the chess pieces.

The doors swished open and Dana Kirk walked in. Several heads turned towards the new Ensign and a few people started whispering.

She paid no attention to them, and walked in confidently, taking a seat somewhere near the bridge crew. She was wearing her Command gold Starfleet uniform and slacks and her blonde hair had been tied back in a neat plait. She caught sight of both her not-fathers and grinned.

“Dana, good to see you out and about,” Kirk said, returning the smile.

Dana inclined her head, acknowledging the Captain’s greeting.

“Mr. Spock, how about a song in honour of Ensign Dana, to celebrate her quick recovery,” said Uhura, getting up from her seat and picking up the Vulcan lute from its stand. She walked over to the First Officer and offered it to him, “You could play something and I could sing along.”

“Must you really?” said Spock in a flat voice, that Kirk recognised as a long-suffering sigh from the Vulcan, “Undoubtedly you have an excellent voice, Lieutenant, but you know our music is completely ruined by Terran songs.”

“How about a Vulcan song then?” Dana said, from her seat.

“You sing?” asked Kirk, looking impressed.

“Affirmative. I also play the Vulcan lute,” nodded Dana.  
  
Spock drew a chair next to him in an invitation for her to come and sit. Dana hopped off her seat and came and sat down next to him, still smiling.

“Did your Father teach you how to play the lute?” Spock asked innocently, in Vulcan.

“Negative. My grandfather did,” replied Dana, also in Vulcan, raising an eyebrow.

Spock made no comment and began strumming the lute on his lap. Kirk got up and went to the table where the bridge crew was seated. He switched on the comm on the table, patching in the audio to sickbay so that McCoy could listen in.

Dana leaned in and whispered the name of a song to Spock. Spock nodded once and picked up the tune on the lute, as Dana started singing.

The song had a serene and haunting quality, and Dana’s melodious voice had everyone hooked on to it. Kirk watched the whole room give in to perfect silence as everybody listened to them perform, even though, he knew that other than perhaps Uhura, nobody could even follow the language. He felt himself getting drawn further and further into the enchanting way Dana’s voice lilted in Vulcan, and the way Spock’s talented fingers moved along the strings of the lute.

Spock joined Dana in singing what Kirk assumed to be the chorus of the song. He had heard his First Officer sing only once before, but that had been a Terran song. In Vulcan, Spock’s low, rumbling voice sang in perfect tune and Kirk felt the hair on the back of his own head stand, and goosebumps running along his sleeve covered hands.

Dana and Spock joined their voices in perfect harmony and drew the song to its end. The crowd in the rec room broke out into applause. Dana grinned at the crewmembers, delighted at their response. Uhura and Chekov were clapping wildly while Sulu was recording the whole thing on one of the rec computers. Scotty whistled and shouted, “Another!”

Dana whipped her head around to look at Spock, a wide grin still plastered on her face. Kirk noticed her discreetly extend her fingertips towards Spock’s who touched them lightly with his own. A hint of a smile was playing on his thin lips and his brown eyes shone warmly.

Kirk felt the same overwhelming feeling of affection suffusing through him as he watched those two, immediately replaced by an acute pain of want, searing through his heart.

The cheers of the audience died down, as Spock handed Dana the lute and she began to strum it with deft ease. Spock tilted his head to one side, paying close attention to Dana’s next song, and Kirk looked on from him to their daughter realising that this is something he could never walk away from.

……


	19. Chapter 19

**USS Enterprise, Captain’s Quarters, Stardate 2260.63**   
  


Kirk was alone in his room. He had some thinking to do. He poured himself a peg of Saurian brandy he had borrowed from McCoy for emergencies such as these.

He had to first acknowledge to himself where exactly he stood.

Dana Sarika Kirk was his daughter. He wanted his daughter to be born and he wanted to be a part of her life. Also, he wanted to raise her with Spock, because Dana would not be so innately Dana without the influence of her Father. He did love her, as much as any father could ever love his daughter, and he wanted the best for her.

The Saurian brandy was threatening to lower his defenses and open several other cans of worms involving Dana, her Father, and him, and the relationship dynamics between the three of them, but Kirk forced those thoughts back into the furthest depths of his mind, where they belonged and took another swig from his glass. Lately these thoughts had taken to bubbling to the surface every time something stupid happened, like them holding hands in sickbay, or Dana singing with Spock. Kirk’s heart could only handle so much without it actually leaping out of his chest.

Kirk paced around his quarters a few times and then downed his drink. He had many decisions to make, but first, he had to speak to Carol.

He took the turbolift to the lower deck till he found himself in the senior science officers’ quarters. Locating Dr. Marcus’s room, he pressed the bell requesting entry. There was no response. To his surprise, the door swished open on its own. Kirk waited for a few seconds and then strode in.

Her room was empty. Her desk was crowded with books, PADDs and research work. Not wanting to disturb any of it, he went and sat gingerly on her bed.

He was debating whether or not to comm her, when the door swished open and Marcus walked in.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, on seeing him, “Wasn’t expecting you, Captain. Anything wrong?”

“No,” said Kirk smiling in his usual charming, genial way, “Just wanted to see you. The door was open so I let myself in. I was waiting for you in my quarters for a while, but you didn’t show. Thought I might as well come here and check up on you.”

“I did go to your quarters, a few nights ago. You weren’t there. Your yeoman told me you and Mr. Spock were in the sickbay.”

An awkward silence filled the space between them. Marcus put the PADD and the tricorder she had been carrying, on her bedside table, and turned to her cupboard.

“About that..I think we need to talk about Dana,” said Kirk.

Marcus winced, unnoticed by Kirk, as she took out a pair of regulation pajamas and an old Starfleet Academy tee. She half-turned to face Kirk, taking off her official Science blue dress.

“What about Dana?”

“Scotty and Spock are working on the details. We’re trying to send her back to her future. But.” Kirk stopped mid-sentence, unwilling to go on.

“But, what, Jim?” Marcus said, her voice muffled as she put on her tee. She sat down on the bed next to Kirk and started taking off her boots first and then rolling off her stockings.

“We have to make sure she gets born, Carol. Spock and I owe it to her.”

Marcus nodded as she put on her pajamas, “So?”

“So,” Kirk said haltingly, not sure where he was going with this, “We need to figure out how ‘we’ fit into this.”

“Jim,” Marcus said standing up, “We have a good thing going. No, actually, we have a great thing going. But if you’re asking me to raise a half-Vulcan baby with you and your First Officer, that’s just…”

“I am not asking you to do anything, Carol! I’m just…”

“Jim, I’m not interested in getting married, or settling down, or having kids. It’s never been part of my plan,” Marcus interjected, taking her old clothes and throwing them in the laundry chute.

“Well, it wasn’t part of mine either!” Kirk exclaimed, “But things have changed, Carol.”

“Yes, for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I have never wanted this. And unlike you, I don’t have any compulsions to be forced into it,” said Marcus simply.

Kirk stared at her. “You think I’m being forced into it?”

Marcus shrugged.

“Look! Dana is one hell of a girl and I’m proud to be her father. I’d be stupid not to. Any man in the galaxy would be honoured to have her as a daughter…”

“Jim…” Marcus said, shaking her head.

“Dammit, Carol! Try and understand, I want to have Dana with Spock!”

“Jim! Are you hearing yourself?” Marcus spoke up sharply, “You’re a good friend, and a great captain, and I love you, but you have to come to your senses about this,” she paused for a breath and went on, “You have to talk to Dana. And you have to talk to Spock. You can’t go jumping into this like you do everything else.”

Kirk stood up in front of her, “Carol, I…”

“And I don’t think we should be together until you sort all of this out.”

Kirk halted, his arms falling to his sides.

“Jim, you are asking me to make commitments I cannot make. Whether or not you truly want this, it won’t change the fact that I won’t.”

Kirk nodded, briefly, turning away.

“Talk to Dana,” Marcus repeated, “And for God’s sake, talk to Spock.”

Kirk turned to look at her, “Good night, Carol.”

“Good night, Jim. I’ll see you tomorrow, at breakfast.”

Kirk exited. Marcus waited for the door to swish shut before she allowed her face to crumple.

……


	20. Chapter 20

**USS Enterprise, Bridge, Stardate 2260.64  
**  

Kirk waited for the turbolift doors to open and walked into the bridge. A flurry of activity, typical for the start of the alpha shift, greeted him. His eyes swept over the bridge once, noting mentally the personnel on duty.

Uhura was seated at the communications station, behind the Captain’s seat, flipping switches. Spock was notably absent from the Science station. He had either stayed on for last night’s gamma shift or he would be pulling both the beta and the gamma shifts today. Chekov was mapping something, possibly multiple exit routes from this quadrant. The young Ensign must be getting restless, thought Kirk. They had been stuck here for almost a week.

Sulu was running regular checks on shields and phaser banks. Scotts’s place had been taken by one of the other senior Engineering officials. And one of the Command stations was being manned by a familiar figure in a Command gold Ensign shirt. Dana Sarika Kirk.

Kirk climbed into the Captain’s chair. Yeoman Rand materialized at his side with a PADD in the crook of her arm. Kirk flipped through the notices and signed off. He turned to look at his Command crew, “Report, Mr. Chekov.”

“Aye, Keptin. Ensign Dana has been on duty since the gamma shift and she has prepared ze reports, sir. She would like to present it,” quipped Chekov.

“Very well. Ensign Dana?” Kirk said extending his arm.

Dana leapt from her station and walked up to the Captain’s chair, passing the PADD to Kirk’s outstretched hand. She stood next to the chair, her hands folded behind her back.

Kirk studied the PADD and then stretched his arm out for the stylus. Dana passed it to him, and he signed and returned both to her.

“You’ve been here since the gamma shift?” he asked.

“Affirmative, Captain,” she nodded.

“Is that wise, on your first day back?” he asked, lowering his head, seeking her eyes out.

Dana shrugged. “I wasn’t sleepy.”

“Where’s Spock?” Kirk asked suddenly.

“The Commander is currently in Science Lab 5, working with Mr. Scott on the dimensional fold equations.”

“How about we go for a short walk to the Botany labs, once I’m done looking at all the reports. Would you like that?” Kirk asked.

Dana nodded and returned to her seat.

“Science?” Kirk called out.

A pretty, redheaded lady wearing a Science blue dress came up to the Captain with three PADDs. Kirk sighed and got down to work.

After he had cleared the medical, engineering, communications and security reports, he got up from his seat, and stretched his legs. Walking towards the turbolift he called out, “I have a few lab visits to make. Mr. Sulu, you have the conn.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Kirk paused at the door, “Ensign Dana?”

Dana got up from her seat, and walked up to the Captain.

“Shall we?” Kirk asked smiling. Dana nodded, pressing the turbolift button.

The two of them made their way to the Botany lab on Deck 11.

“Do you come here a lot?” asked Kirk, holding the door to the greenhouse open for her.

“With my Dad? Sure,” said Dana, “You two are not that different from each other, except the obvious…you know…”

Kirk wanted her to clarify what she had just meant, but then decided against it.

They began exploring the specimens, one aisle at a time, while Kirk pointed out names and nomenclature, sometimes regaling Dana with stories on how they had acquired the plant from some hostile planet.

“This really is a great collection,” said Dana, looking impressed.

“We really have Mr. Sulu to thank for it,” Kirk said shaking his head, “He puts his life into this.”

Kirk stepped away from Dana to go to the section on roses. He ran his fingers over the soft, velvet material of the petal and stooped to smell the fragrance.

“You know, Father and Uncle Scotty are going to figure out the anomaly soon enough. Once I can apply it, I can transport back to the future.”

Kirk straightened up and looked at the young girl. She had perched on one of the specimen tables, and was running her fingers over a pink Venus flytrap like thing. The flytrap purred like a tribble and nuzzled its head closer to her hand.

“Well, that’s good news, right?” Kirk asked, a crease in between his forehead.

Dana shrugged, petting the sentient plant.  
  
“You’ve been awfully quiet, lately. Everything alright?” Kirk pressed.

“Sure,” came the non-reply.

Kirk ran his fingers through his dark blonde curls. “Dana, is something wrong? Did someone say something, or…”

Dana shook her head, “It’s nothing, Captain.”

He came and stood near her, his arms folded.

A few seconds later, Dana spoke up, “Did you speak with the Commander, after he mind-melded with me in the conference room, about what he saw?”

“No,” Kirk shook his head.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter at this point. None of it will ever come to pass. I shall cease to exist and it will remain in his brain, as a memory and nothing else,” Dana sighed.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. You just said that if the equations are correct…”

“It doesn’t matter if the equations are correct, Dad! The variables are wrong!” Dana cut in, angrily.

“What…?” Kirk opened his mouth and shut it again.

Dana sighed, “I could hop on to the transporter pad, but there’s no telling what will come out in the future. I could be a boy. I could have a heart defect. Statistical likelihood indicates that I won’t be born at all.”

“Hold on a second,” Kirk said, turning to frown at her, “I’ve already thought about this. I am going through with this. I’m going to make sure you are born. If Spock wants to be a part of it, and I _know_ that he wants to be a part of it…”

“It still won’t be me,” said Dana, shaking her head, “The two of you can combine your DNAs a thousand times over and it still won’t be me.”

Kirk looked at her, nonplussed.

“Sure, some variation of me will be born. But he or she might have human ears or dark, Vulcan hair. Or they may look exactly like me, but their nature would most certainly be different.”

“How can you be so sure?” pressed Kirk.

“I am what I am because of my parents, who love me, and each other very much. I have familial bonds with my Father, and by extension through their shared bond, with my Dad. Even if you guys do eventually genetically manufacture me, I may bond with Father. But I will never have you,” Dana said, her voice cracking.

“Dana!” Kirk was shocked, “Sweetie, you will always have me.”

Dana shook her head, a short, dry laugh escaping her throat, “You’re talking like a human.”

“I am a human, dammit!”

Dana’s eyes flashed in anger as she pushed herself off the table, “You don’t get to speak to me like that. You are not my Dad!”

Kirk’s face softened, “I’m so sorry, honey,” he said, his voice mellow. Putting his arms around her, he whispered, “I didn’t mean…”

He was relieved to find Dana curling her small arms around his back and breathing into his shoulder. She was only a couple of inches shorter than him.

It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” she paused, shutting her eyes, willing the tears to go away, “You can’t help who you fall in love with.”

Kirk tightened his hold on her, “No,” he whispered, “You can’t.”

Dana suddenly withdrew as if she had been stung. Her hands flew to the side of her head, as she doubled over in pain.

“Dana!”

“Father is in distress…” she gasped, “Give me a…minute.”

A few seconds passed and Dana straightened up, “I have to ascertain if it’s my Father, or the Commander.” Her head was still bent in concentration.

Kirk shuffled uneasily, waiting for Dana to speak up again.

“I…AH!” screamed Dana, her knees gave away and hit the floor of the lab with a thud.

“Dana,” Kirk cried out and sat down next to her, “Are you alright?” he asked frantically, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

Dana shied away from the touch, her head in between her knees, breathing deeply, “It’s the Commander. He is in Science Lab 5 and in obvious distress.”

“Is he alright?” Kirk asked with concern.

Dana looked up, her hands falling to her sides. “He’s quite alright, Captain. He was merely upset, though I do not know what caused it.”

“And are you alright?” Kirk said standing up and offering her a hand, hesitantly.

“Affirmative. The pain has gone. The Commander has raised his mental shield and blocked me out of his mind,” she said, taking his hand and pulling herself to her feet.

“I better go see what’s wrong,” Kirk said as they made their way out of the lab.

“That would be wise,” Dana nodded.

“You can go back to the bridge, or you can just take the rest of the day off, you know. You’re not supposed to be on duty, anyway,” he told her kindly.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll find something to do.”

Kirk nodded as he parted ways, walking towards the turbolift that would take him to Deck 5.

In Science Lab 5, Scotty was jumping in excitement, as the lights in the chamber died down.  
  
“We did it, Mr. Spock! The experiment is a success!”

“Indeed, Mr. Scott,” said Spock quietly, taking off the protective goggles.

“Now we can send Dana back home where she belongs,” Scotty said grinning from ear to ear.

An unexplainable feeling hit Spock as he silently began dismantling the experiment setup.

“I better write it all up, Mr. Spock. In case you and the Captain decide to transport her tonight…”

“Yes, Mr. Scott,” said Spock, his voice dying in his throat, “If you will excuse me, I need to find the Captain.”

“Aye,” said Scotty, “Lieutenant Ray can help me clean up.”

Spock walked out of the Science Lab in silence. He assumed that the Captain would be on the bridge for his shift and began to walk towards the turbolift. He waited for the lift to come and when it did, the doors opened to reveal Kirk standing inside, tapping his feet impatiently.

“Spock! Are you all right? Dana said you were…” Kirk stopped midway as Spock entered the turbolift.

The Vulcan flicked the switch that would prevent the turbolift from moving and turned to look at his Captain.

“What is it Spock?” Kirk asked, full of concern.

“Captain, I find myself unfit for duty. I have been emotionally compromised. In the light of such an event, Starfleet regulations dictate that I must resign my post. Please consider and accept my resignation notice, effective immediately,” Spock said in a monotone.

Kirk gaped at him, “What? Are you serious?”

“Affirmative, Captain. I will be returning to Vulcan shortly to undertake rigorous training to purge myself of aforementioned emotions…”

“Spock!” Kirk cut him off, “You can’t leave. We’re in the middle of a mission.”

“A mission that I have been emotionally compromised by, Captain. Can you not see, that I cannot perform my duties at the optimal level?”

“The hell you can’t!” Kirk said angrily, “We have a responsibility of sending Dana back to her future, or have you forgotten that?”

“It has not escaped my memory, Captain. Mr. Scott has the result of our experiments. The equations are workable and they can theoretically be used to transport Ensign Kirk back to her coordinates in a future timeline.”

“We can really send her back?” Kirk asked shocked.

No response.

“Spock?”

“Jim, if we send her back, we will never see her again.”

“How can you say that?” Kirk asked softly, a familiar feeling stabbing at his heart again.

“I am merely speaking the truth, as I’m sure Dana has already outlined to you.”

“Even if we do send her back, you can’t leave,” said Kirk with finality.

“Captain, I am not fit for duty. I am asking you to relieve me…”

“This conversation is over, Mr. Spock,” Kirk said shortly, reaching out to flip the switch of the turbolift.

Spock caught his arm, “Captain, I am begging you. Accept my resignation, this instant.”

“Mr. Spock, I said this conversation is over…”

“Jim, please!”

“Dammit Spock! You can’t just…”

“Listen to me when I tell you that I cannot perform my duties…”

“No you listen to me! You’re in this with me, whether you like it or not. We have to send her back to her parents, and we have to do it together. You don’t get to leave me alone in this.”

“Jim,” Spock said softly.

“I’m sorry, give me a minute,” Kirk said hastily wiping his eyes on the sleeve.

“Look, I don’t like this any more than you do. But this is what we have to do. And you are going to stick right here, with me, and see this through to the end. You’re free to go wherever you want to, afterwards,” said Kirk straightening his shirt. He flicked the switch on the turbolift wall and pressed the exit button.

“I see,” said Spock softly as the Captain walked out and the doors of the lift swished shut with Spock still inside.

……..


	21. Chapter 21

**USS Enterprise, Transporter Room, Stardate 2260.64**   


“Well, now we just wait for Bones,” Kirk said in a fake, cheery voice.

Dana nodded silently. She stood on the transporter pad, occasionally fiddling with the tricorder strap.

Kirk stood near the console, next to Spock. He looked at his daughter with a mixture of pride and grief. She was wearing her Command gold uniform and slacks. Her dark, blonde hair had been pulled back and pinned and tied in a neat, high pony. Her slanted eyebrows were creased slightly, as she looked at Scotty, standing behind the console, “Everything in order, Mr. Scott?”

“Aye, lass,” Scotty said smiling, “You nervous?”

Dana shook her head, pointedly avoiding Kirk’s gaze. There were a few tears standing still in her hazel eyes.

The doors swished open and McCoy all but rushed in, still in his blue scrub shirt. “You’re still here, thank God!” he said panting.

“You didn’t think I’d leave without saying goodbye to you, did you Uncle Bones?” said Dana, flashing him a genuine smile. He walked up to her on the transporter pad and pulled her into an unexpected hug.

“You take care of yourself, kid,” he said kissing the back of her head.

Dana nodded and McCoy stepped off the transporter pad and came to stand next to Spock and Kirk.

“Oh cheer up, Uncle Bones!” Dana cried, in spite of herself, “Just remember, Cousin Jo isn’t going to stay with Jocelyn forever. She’ll be back with you soon.”

McCoy gaped at her, but instead of saying anything in reply, contented himself to grinning at her widely, his bright, blue eyes shining.

Kirk walked up to her, unable to keep his pretenses up. Taking her hands in his, he said quietly, “I wish I didn’t have to do this. I wish I could keep you here with me, forever.”

“That would be illogical, Captain,” Dana said equally softly. She stole a glance at Spock and pressed her eyes shut, controlling her tears, resolving herself that she would not cry in front of him.

“I hope, that I will see you again,” Kirk continued, his voice catching in his throat, “And that so will your parents when you transport back, successfully.”

“Unlikely,” Dana said, looking away, “But I owe it to them to at least try.”  
  
Kirk let go of her hands, turning to look at Spock. The Vulcan had not made any comments or sign of movement upon entering the transporter room.

Kirk got off the transporter pad and went to stand next to McCoy.

“Thank you, for everything, Father, even though I know you do not approve of giving thanks, as it is illogical,” Dana said in Vulcan, her eyes on Spock. She raised her hand in the ta’al and said, “Peace and long life, Father.”

“Live long and prosper, Dana,” Spock raised his own hand in the traditional Vulcan salute in response. He looked at Scotty and nodded once.

Scotty set the controls to the coordinates they had calculated and the transporter came to life, disassembling Dana’s atoms.

Kirk watched helplessly, as the last traces of his daughter disappeared from the transporter pad. He turned his head around at the swishing noise of the door opening and saw Spock exit the room without a word.

……


	22. Chapter 22

**USS Enterprise, Captain’s and First Officer’s Quarters, Stardate 2260.64**   


Kirk left the transporter room shortly after Spock and followed him to the senior command quarters.

“Spock,” Kirk pleaded, standing outside his First Officer’s room, “Please Spock, just open the door. I need to talk to you.”

No response.

Kirk ignored the button in favour of knocking, “Spock!”

A few crewmen that passed by the corridor, looked on in surprise, not daring to say anything. Kirk ignored them and rapped on the door again.

 _This is useless_ , Kirk thought as he walked up to his own door and opened it. He went to their shared bathroom. Spock was standing inside, facing the mirror. The whites of his eyes were flecked with green.

“Spock, I…”

Spock gently shut the door of the bathroom.

Kirk let his hand slide and touch the door softly, palm outstretched. He heard Spock sigh as the back of his head hit the door. Kirk adjusted his hand so that it would rest at the base of Spock’s head were they not separated by the door.

“Spock,” Kirk repeated softly, tears now pooling in his hazel eyes, “Please just let me…”

Kirk heard Spock slide slowly down to the bathroom floor. Kirk sat down with him, his hand still pressed to the door. Eventually, Kirk just gave up and gave in to his tears, flipping around, so that his back rested against the bathroom door.

Kirk and Spock sat, back to back, separated by the door. The several minutes stretched into what felt like hours to Kirk.

Eventually Spock extended his arm and pressed the button. The bathroom door swished open partly. Kirk picked himself up from the floor and walked in. He closed the door and sat down next to Spock.

Not saying a word, he took Spock’s hand into his own, first running his fingers over Spock’s and then turning his hand, to encase it in his own, his index finger stroking the inside of Spock’s wrist.

They sat like that for a few moments, the silence broken intermittently by Kirk’s shaking shoulders and irregular sobs.

And then Spock leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Kirk’s lips.  
  
A second later, when he was about to withdraw, Kirk curled his other hand around the back of Spock’s head, carding his fingers through the silky, black hair, and deepened the kiss.

……


	23. Chapter 23

**USS Enterprise, Observation Deck, Stardate 2282.64**  


Kirk entered the observation deck, silently. A lone figure stood in front of the window, his hands clasped behind his back.

Kirk walked up to the robe-clad figure. “I knew I’d find you here, old friend.”

“Jim. You’re awake.”

“I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. Thought I might as well check up on the gamma shift,” said Kirk, giving a noncommittal shrug. He came to stand next to his husband, turning his face towards him, “I didn’t hear you leave. I missed you.”

“I apologise, Jim. I couldn’t focus on my meditation.”

Kirk nodded. “Were you able to…you know?”

Spock shook his head, gazing out the window; “I haven’t been able to reach her, not since that day.”

“You said she was injured that day,” Kirk said, sounding worried.

“I said she had put herself in a healing trance,” corrected Spock.

“Which means she was injured.”

Both of them fell silent.

Kirk extended an arm towards the other. Spock unclasped his hand from behind his back and met Kirk’s. Their index and middle fingers touched, fingertips pressed lightly, and then Spock encased his hand in Kirk’s.

“I’m worried, Spock.”

“I know you are, Jim. I wish I could help you not be.”

“Will we ever see her again?” Kirk asked miserably.

“I think we will. And, very soon.”

“How can you be so sure?” Kirk pressed.

Spock lifted an eyebrow, “I have a hunch.”

“A hunch?” Kirk let out a short huff of laughter, “Since when do you believe in hunches, Mr. Spock?”

Spock turned to look at him, an eyebrow lifted in exasperation and Kirk leaned forward suddenly capturing his lips with his own.

Spock kissed him back, but then withdrew, just as suddenly. Kirk could see his brown eyes shining wide, even in the darkness.

“ _Jim_!” he exclaimed, before he turned and shot out of the observation deck.

“Wha…woah, Spock, wait!” Kirk cried, before he ran out of the observation deck behind Spock.

Kirk panted, trying to keep up with the Vulcan’s long strides. Spock ran along the corridor, ignoring the turbolift. Kirk saw his black robes whipping around the corner and quickened his pace. They were headed towards the transporter room, he realised.

Spock had stopped short in the corridor. A familiar figure was emerging from the transporter room, the door swishing shut behind her.

“ _Sa-mekh!_ ”[2] she cried, launching herself in Spock’s arms.

Spock’s graceful features softened, his eyebrows furrowed as he hugged his daughter back. Dana quickly withdrew however, snapping him a Vulcan salute, before she extended her right hand and touched her fingertips lightly to Spock’s.

Kirk had come to a halt, a few feet away. Dana’s face broke into a huge grin as she stepped away from Spock towards him. Kirk opened his arms, crushing his daughter to his chest.

“Oh, Dana,” he murmured.

“Dad,” she said, in between sobs, “I’m here. You did it.”

“Yes, sweetheart. You did.” Kirk said looking at Spock, his eyes full of tears.

Spock looked into his eyes, the corners of his lips turned upwards, and nodded once. Kirk closed his eyes, and stroked his daughter’s head.

……  
  
[2] 'Father', in Vulcan


	24. Chapter 24

**Shi’Kahr, Vulcan, Stardate 2265.43**   


“What are we going to name her, Spock?” Kirk asked excitedly. He was aware of the protocol about public display of affection on Vulcan, so he kept his hand to himself, though he was itching to hold Spock’s.

“I’m afraid I haven’t given this matter a thought yet, Jim. I welcome your suggestions,” he said lifting an eyebrow and turning to look at the Captain, sitting next to him in the waiting area.

“I think we should give her a Vulcan name. Something stylish and unpronounceable.”

Spock’s eyebrows were threatening to disappear into his hair, as it did whenever his husband made such illogical comments.

“Okay, maybe not, unpronounceable,” said Kirk hastily, correctly interpreting Spock’s expression, “Maybe we could just give her a Terran name. We could name her after one of our mothers.”

“Indeed. Or, one of our fathers.”

“George? God no, my Dad hated his name. We should name her after your Father, Sarek.”

“Sarika would be the appropriate female equivalent,” Spock supplied.

“What did the nurse say just now?” Kirk asked, suddenly.

“She said inter-species Vulcan offsprings born of genetic engineering are not common. This infant is quite special, and she will be a _danik tal-kam kan_...”

“ _Danik talk-kam kan_ , that means ‘most dear child’, doesn’t it?” said Kirk, “See, my Vulcan’s better than you think.”

The Vulcan nurse re-entered the waiting room and both Spock and Kirk got up from their seats. She motioned them to follow her and they entered the chamber that housed their newborn.

On Spock’s indication, the nurse lifted the wrapped bundle from the bubble-shaped cot and presented it to Kirk.

“Oh my God, Spock. You never mentioned how beautiful she was!”

“I thought that would be self-evident, Jim.”

“She’s perfect, absolutely perfect!” Kirk smiled.

“Understandable. After all, she is my daughter.”

Kirk looked at his husband, the corners of his lips were upturned in a teasing smile.  
  
“Oh no, mister. You don’t get to take all the credit for her. I get at least fifty per cent credit,” Kirk said shaking his head.

“Jim, you get exactly fifty per cent credit,” Spock said his eyebrow twitching. Kirk identified it to be the Vulcan equivalent of an exasperated sigh.

“I’m not so sure about that,” Kirk said, looking at their baby daughter. She yawned and opened her eyes. They were hazel like his, as were the short, honey blonde Vulcan bangs falling over them. Kirk pushed them out of her eyes, gingerly, to reveal short, dark Vulcan eyebrows frowning back at him, “I think she looks just like you.”

Kirk sighed, handing the bundle to Spock, “We should just call her that.”

“What?” Spock asked, taking the baby in one hand, and letting her curl her tiny fist around his index finger.

“Dani-whatever. We could call her Dana, for short.”

“Jim, that is highly…”

“Don’t say it’s illogical Spock. I know you love it. Isn’t that right, Dana?”

The baby blinked, and Kirk could swear that he saw her quirk an eyebrow.

……


End file.
